Walking Through Fire
by PhoebeColeTurnerHalliwell
Summary: Set after All Hell Breaks Loose. When Cole and Phoebe disappear, Paige takes Phoebe's place in the Power of Three. When the old Source is killed, rumors spread of a new Source and his Queen. Have Cole and Phoebe resurfaced? And can they be saved in time?
1. Aftermath

_Chapter One_

"Time has been restored. Now, bring Belthazor to me. And kill his witch!" The Source demanded of the demon kneeling in front of him.

The demon bowed once and hurried out of the cave, eager to please his boss. Little did either of them know that Cole, aka Belthazor, had been on the other side of the cavern, listening to the conversation.

Cole had been suspicious that the Source would go back on their deal. He was the Source of All Evil, of course, and couldn't be trusted. The truth was, he was too eager to get rid of the Charmed Ones once and for all. It was his undoing. Cole saw that now.

When the demon turned the corner, Cole hit him with an energy ball. The demon screamed as he exploded in a burst of yellow light. Cole didn't stick around for the Source to investigate. He hurried back to the cave that Leo and Phoebe were hiding in.

"We need to go. Now!" he exclaimed, and took Phoebe's hand in his. He was preparing to shimmer them out of there, when Phoebe stopped him.

"Wait. Leo, you need to go!" Phoebe said urgently to the Whitelighter, who was watching them with a mixture of fear and concern.

"I can't. I need to watch over you," he said, lowering his voice so that Cole or anyone else wouldn't be able to overhear.

"I appreciate that, but you can't stay here. Prue and Piper need you back home. What if the Source goes back on his deal, and Shax kills them anyway? Then they'd both be gone," Phoebe explained quickly.

"There's no way I'm leaving you down here alone," Leo replied sternly, eyeing Cole suspiciously.

"Leo, there's no time. The Source has already gone back on his deal. He plans to kill both Phoebe and I unless I can take her someplace safe. You need to be with Prue and Piper. Neither of them are safe," Cole interrupted, meeting Leo square in the eye.

"All the more reason for Phoebe to go back up with me! Cole, I know you care about her a great deal, but your love is clouding your judgment!" Leo snapped back.

"As is yours. Look, whether you like it or not, I'm the only chance Phoebe has at escape. The Source will be expecting Phoebe to go back up with you, and when you do, all of you will be dead. You need to go back up and save Prue and Piper. Phoebe and I are safer down here. My powers are the strongest here."

"But Cole..."

"No, Leo, Cole's right. The Source will be expecting you to orb me back at the manor. You need to keep my sisters safe. I'll be fine," Phoebe interrupted, going back to stand next to Cole. "I'll be with Cole."

Cole gave her a reassuring smile before turning back to Leo. "Please, Leo. The Source is already on his way."

Leo gave Cole and Phoebe one final glance, then finally allowed a bunch of white lights to surround him before he was gone, not looking very happy about it.

Cole then hugged Phoebe closely to him and shimmered them out of the cave just as the Source entered. When he sensed that Cole had shimmered with the witch, he screamed in frustration, and sent a large fireball at the closest demon to him.

Meanwhile, Cole had shimmered Phoebe and himself to a small cave as far away from the Source as he could find. It barely held the two of them together, and Cole had to hunch over just to stand, but for the moment at least, they were safe.

"Cole, were you telling the truth when you told Leo that the Source had already broken his deal?" Phoebe asked once they were in the cave.

"I wouldn't be keeping you down here if he hadn't," Cole responded, moving them both as far away from the entrance as possible.

"Can't the Source track your shimmers?" Phoebe asked fearfully.

"Yes, but he won't go after us himself. He'll send in his most trusted demons. And I know how to handle them."

Phoebe looked uncertain, and Cole gathered her in his arms. "I promise that everything will be okay. Once we're able, we'll go back up. But for now, we have to stay here."

Phoebe was about to argue, but she looked at Cole and how sure of himself he sounded. She decided to put her faith in him, and just pray that everything would turn out okay.

* * *

When Leo orbed back in the manor, he was stunned by what he saw.

Prue and Piper, laying on the conservatory floor the same as before, bleeding and quite near death. He hurried to them and raised his hands over each of them and waited as they glowed yellow and began to heal the two oldest Halliwells.

Prue and Piper both woke up together, same as before. The only difference was that Phoebe wasn't with them.

"Ugh...what happened?" Piper groaned as she struggled to get up.

"You nearly died, that's what happened," Leo replied gravely.

"Leo, Dr. Griffith! You need to heal him!" Prue said as she stood up.

Leo hurried to the dining room, where Shax had thrown the doctor before. Only this time was different. Since Phoebe hadn't been there to read the Shax vanquishing spell, Dr. Griffith hadn't been saved. Leo saw just from looking at the doctor hunched over the broken window that it was too late.

"Leo, what's wrong?" Piper asked as she and Prue joined him in the dining room.

"I was too late. He's gone," Leo muttered, staring at the body of the innocent they had been trying to protect.

"What do you mean he's gone, Leo? Where's Phoebe? She should've read the vanquishing spell," Prue argued, pushing past Leo.

When she saw Dr. Griffith's body, her face paled.

"Oh my god!" she muttered. She raised her hand to her mouth in shock while Piper closed her eyes and turned away.

"Leo, where's Phoebe? Why didn't she say the spell?" Prue demanded.

"Because...she's not here at the moment," Leo said. He hated telling the girls bad news, especially when it involved a sister.

"Where is she?" Piper asked, looking at her husband with concern.

"Well, she...Phoebe is in the Underworld. With Cole," Leo said finally, not willing to look the sisters in the eye.

"She's _where? _She was just here a second ago!" Prue snapped, looking at the Whitelighter in disbelief.

"No, actually, she wasn't." Leo finally stood up straight, prepared to explain to them the circumstances surrounding Phoebe's disappearance and Dr. Griffith's death.

"Then where was she?" Piper demanded.

"Look...this isn't the first time this has happened. Shax already attacked once before. He knocked both of you out, but Phoebe read the spell and drove him away before he could get to Dr. Griffith. I healed you, and you went out on the street looking for Shax. When you found him, you vanquished him in broad daylight, where a news crew taped you using your powers. The whole world knew you were witches, and while Phoebe was in the Underworld trying to save Cole, she made a deal with the Source for Tempus to reset time. And it worked, only now Phoebe's in the Underworld, trapped, with Cole," Leo explained, looking from one sister to the next cautiously.

Both Prue and Piper were silent. Leo waited for them to say something before he did. He knew that they would want to save Phoebe, but the truth was they couldn't. As much as he hated to admit it to himself, Phoebe and Cole were on their own.

"So, you're saying that if we go after Shax, we'll risk exposure?" Prue asked after a while.

"Maybe. Shax isn't worried about exposure, which means he could attack anywhere at any time. You can't risk it, otherwise Phoebe's deal will have been in vain," Leo said.

"Wait. How come you're able to remember all this and we aren't?" Piper asked.

Prue nodded in agreement.

Leo sighed. "I was with Phoebe and Cole in the Underworld. You wanted me to go down and watch over them. Time being reset up here didn't affect down there."

"So Phoebe is trapped down there knowing that we were exposed and has no way of knowing that we're okay?" Prue asked incredulously.

"In a nutshell, yes," Leo replied.

"Well, we have to go get her. We can't vanquish Shax without her, it's a Power of Three spell," Piper pointed out.

"That's exactly what you _can't _do. As much as I hate to say this, Cole loves Phoebe, and he'll protect her no matter what. The Source already knows she's down there. If you both go down there, you risk being killed yourselves, and all this will have been for nothing. Right now you have to continue on as if nothing has happened."

"She's our sister, Leo! We can't just leave her there!" Piper snapped. Leo saw Prue blink back angry tears as well.

"Cole will protect her. And when the time is right to come back up, they'll do it," Leo said, not liking what he was saying one bit.

"How are we supposed to go on without her, Leo? Together we're the Charmed Ones. Without her, we...we aren't!" Piper asked desperately.

Leo shook his head. "I don't know."

And they stayed like that, the two remaining Charmed Ones and their Whitelighter, mourning all they had lost and grieving over a sister they knew they might not see again for a long time.

* * *

"Cole, it's cold. Can't you start a fire or something?" Phoebe asked as she huddled closer in to Cole.

"I can't. Demons might be alerted. Right now we need to keep moving," Cole said.

They had been walking through the Underworld for hours now. Phoebe had lost track of time, but time didn't work differently down here anyway. She had no idea how much time had passed up above, but she tried not to think about it. She knew she would go insane if she did.

"Cole, please. We need to stop soon. I'm exhausted," Phoebe yawned as Cole continued pushing them both forward.

"I know you are. I am too, but we have to keep moving."

Phoebe nodded and yawned again. The next thing she knew, she felt herself being swept off her feet. This woke her up. "What are you doing?" she asked Cole.

"You're about to collapse, and if we're going to stay alive down here, we both need to be on our guard," he said simply.

Phoebe didn't have the strength to argue. She simply cuddled into Cole and allowed sleep to take her.

When she woke, she was lying on the ground of a cave about the size of the one she'd found Cole in when she first got to the Underworld. She looked up to find Cole sharpening what looked like a sword.

"Where'd you get that?" she asked as she stood up.

Cole turned around sharply. He relaxed when he realized it was Phoebe. "I took it off a demon that attacked while you were sleeping," he answered.

"You mean they found us?" Phoebe asked, alarmed.

Cole gave her a small, reassuring smile. "No, he just happened upon here. I think he'd been staying here. For now, at least, we're safe."

"Oh." Phoebe relaxed slightly.

"I got you this one." Cole pulled out another sword and handed it to Phoebe.

Phoebe took it, looking it over. It had already been sharpened. It was cleaned, too. "You didn't kill another demon for this one, did you?" she asked.

"No. That one was mine," Cole said, smiling.

Phoebe returned it, and pushed it through one of her belt loops on her pants.

"So the plan is to fight down here as long as we can and sword fight any demons that come in our way?" she asked, only half-serious.

"One way to take down any enemy is to cut off his resources. We need all the help we can get, and since your powers are significantly weakened down here, you can't be completely helpless."

Phoebe nodded. She felt horrible that Cole was making all the decisions for them, but she was glad that at least one of them was thinking ahead. He was right, her powers were weakened in the Underworld. She had already tried levitating, and she merely hovered a couple inches off the ground. She knew she wouldn't get a reliable premonition while down here, so her only power was self-defense. No demon down here would be expecting her to have a sword.

Footsteps at the entrance of the cave brought Phoebe's attention away from the sword. When she looked up she saw a short, dark woman wearing a red sweater with her black hair up in a high ponytail. She had in one earring, a large circle.

"Demon!" she snapped and raised her sword to kill her, but Cole placed his hand on the raised sword, preventing it from falling down.

"Phoebe, no! We need her!" Cole exclaimed.

Phoebe turned around to face him. "But she's a demon. She probably works for the Source!"

"No, she doesn't. She works for me."

"Ahem." The female demon stepped inside, glaring at both Cole and Phoebe in turn. "I work for no one but myself. You already know that, Belthazor."

"Seer. I go by Cole now." Cole turned to Phoebe. "Phoebe, this is the Seer. She may be a demon, but she allies herself with whoever she stands the most to gain. And she has had a vision."

The Seer stepped forward. "I have had a vision. One in which the Source is vanquished, and a new Source takes his place. If you wish to stand a chance down here, then you need my help. As I need yours," she explained cryptically.

"Okay. Can we cut the crap, please? Why should we trust her, Cole? She's a _demon," _she snapped.

"So am I, yet you trust me," Cole pointed out.

"Yeah well, that's different. You're half human."

"That didn't stop me from being one of the most powerful demons of all time," Cole continued.

Phoebe took a deep breath, feeling exasperated. "I trust you, Cole. I don't trust her."

Cole nodded. "Fair enough. But, like it or not, she's our only hope at surviving down here."

"And why is that?"

"Because she's going to help us take down the Source."

* * *

A/N: Well, what do you think? I'll be keeping up with my other story,_When You Left, _I've been playing with this for awhile, and am wondering what you all think!


	2. Life Without

A/N: Thanks so much to **foreverprue, Joleca, lizardmomma, **and** Draco's-Loyal-Longing **for reviewing. I'm glad you all liked it. Hope you like this next chapter!

* * *

_Chapter Two_

Phoebe stared at Cole. "I'm sorry, what?"

Cole gave a nervous laugh. "The source. We can't honestly expect to survive down here as long as he's alive. At least not indefinitely."

Phoebe walked up closer to him. "I didn't know we planned to _stay _down here indefinitely. Only until it was safe to go back up."

"How long did you think that would be? A couple days? Weeks?"

Phoebe didn't reply, knowing what he was getting at. She turned her gaze to the ground.

"We have to start going over our options. And, luckily, the Seer has provided help on the most obvious one," Cole continued, glancing at the demon, who was watching the two with both amusement and impatience.

"So we're going to kill the Source...and then what, Cole? Stay down here while the Underworld remains in chaos? They'll all be fighting to gain control. We'll be sitting ducks here!" Phoebe tried to reason with him.

Cole shrugged. "No, actually, we won't."

Phoebe waited for him to elaborate, but when it was clear he wouldn't she decided to press on.

"Then what are we going to do?"

Cole exchanged a quick look at the Seer before flashing Phoebe a mysterious smile. "When the time is right, you'll know."

Phoebe knew the conversation was over, and allowed the Seer to come in closer to the cave, not at all happy about it.

The Seer nodded to Phoebe, obviously pleased to have been accepted, but Phoebe didn't return it. Instead she turned to Cole.

"You better be right about this."

* * *

When Piper woke up the following morning, she was immediately greeted by stillness. It was so quiet without Phoebe. She got up and took a shower, remembering how she and her younger sister would constantly fight over the hot water. A single tear fell down her cheek. How would she ever get past this?

When she went to the kitchen twenty minutes later, she saw that Prue was thinking the same thing. She was sitting at the kitchen table, staring into her coffee, or rather looking right through it. Piper got the sense that she was trying to look into the Underworld somehow and see if Phoebe was okay.

"Morning," Piper announced as she went to pour herself a cup of coffee.

Prue jolted up in her seat. "Morning, Piper. Did you sleep?"

"Not a wink," Piper answered, sitting down beside Prue.

Prue nodded. "Me neither. I can't stop thinking about Phoebe. How could she go down there when she knew something like this could happen?"

Piper shrugged. "She had no way of knowing that we would be exposed, or that the Source would offer a deal."

"Yeah, but she had to have known there would be a possibility. I mean, we've been witches for three years! How could she be so careless like that?" Prue snapped.

"Prue, this isn't Phoebe's fault. And sitting here blaming her isn't helping the situation. We just need to accept that we have to wait," Piper said, trying to stay calm. She understood Prue's anger. She was angry, too. But blaming Phoebe for something that was out of her control wasn't fair.

Prue let out a bitter laugh. "I bet Cole was just waiting for this opportunity."

Piper gave her a pointed glare. "What do you mean by that?"

"How do we know that Cole has truly turned? Phoebe went down there trying to save him. What if she never got the chance? What if all this happened before she could use the potion on him, and he's keeping her down there?" Prue asked, looking horrified.

"Oh come on, Prue. Leo said that Phoebe was safe with him. And besides, he wouldn't have left her alone with him if he were still evil," Piper argued.

"Cole will _always _be evil, no matter how much he tries to change that. But I'm not convinced. We have to do something, Piper. We're too vulnerable up here without her."

Piper shrugged. She knew it was pointless to try to talk Prue out of something she had already set her mind to. Prue was the oldest, therefore she felt it was her duty to protect her and Phoebe.

Prue stood up and dumped her cold coffee in the sink, then hurried out of the kitchen to, Piper assumed, the attic.

Piper didn't go after her, knowing it would be useless. She drank her coffee in silence. She wasn't all too worried about Prue going off into the Underworld without her. Prue would ask Piper to go with her if she came up with a plan, and Piper wasn't eager to venture down there and go against Leo's advice. Not just because he was her husband. Leo was right; it would be playing right into the Source's hands.

But that wouldn't stop Prue from trying.

At that moment Leo came into the kitchen, looking as depressed as Piper felt. "Hey, honey," Leo said, walking over and kissing her on the cheek.

"Hi."

"How's Prue doing?" Leo asked, taking the seat that Prue had just abandoned.

Piper sighed and shook her head. "I don't know. She's been ranting about how Phoebe could be so careless to let herself get trapped in the Underworld. I think she's in the attic now trying to find a way to get down there and save her."

At this Leo's eyes widened. "And you let her?" he stared at Piper in shock.

"No, I did not _let _her! She's just grieving in her own way. Besides, it's not as though she's going to find anything."

"If you say so. But still, I think you should go up there just in case," Leo said as he took a sip of Piper's coffee.

Piper waved him off. Even if he didn't think so, she knew that Prue would never do something that irrational. Now--especially after learning that a dumb mistake like vanquishing a demon in broad daylight on a public street could alert the world to their true identities--she was sure of it.

"So," Piper started, determined to change the subject, "feel like pancakes?"

Leo grinned. "I'd love some."

Piper patted his shoulder as she stood up and began gathering all the ingredients she would need to start them. Leo helped her by getting out a large pan. Other than that, he knew to stay out of her way. She was a genius in the kitchen.

"Are you planning on going to P3 today?" Leo asked, trying to make conversation. He sat down on a stool behind the island.

"I haven't really thought about it. But I probably should. I can't let this whole thing ruin our lives any more than it already has," she replied. Then she eyed him curiously. "Why?"

"No reason. I just thought it might be good for you to get out of the house and try to move on from this," he explained.

"Well, care to join me? I don't really think I'm ready to go solo just yet since I'm sure Prue won't want to go," she said, looking at the ceiling in a helpless manner. It was meant to be an indication to Prue in the attic.

"Maybe you should try and get her to go. It might take her mind off things," he suggested.

"No, it won't. Prue isn't about to let this go, not until she's tried every magical way she can think of to get Phoebe back," she said, her tone indicating that she didn't approve.

"Then it'll just be you and me, then," he said, smiling.

Piper returned it and began spooning the batter onto the pan.

Leo got two plates from the cabinet and set them on the table. "I'm taking it Prue isn't joining us?"

"Probably not," Piper replied half-heartedly. She wasn't in the mood to talk about Prue anymore. It was giving her a headache.

Leo, getting the hint, nodded in understanding. Piper was about to get down a plate to put all the pancakes on, when Prue called down to her.

"Piper! Leo!"

Prue sounded worried, like when a demon shimmered into the attic. Leo and Piper quickly glanced at each other before hurrying up the stairs.

"Prue? What is it?" Piper asked as she and Leo ran into the attic.

What she saw made her stop in her tracks.

Prue was standing behind the Book of Shadows, staring at the ghosts of Grams and their mother, who stood-well floated really-on the circular red rug surrounded by five white candles.

"Grams? Mom? What are you doing here?" Piper asked, shocked.

Grams looked at her sympathetically. "Piper. The four of us need to have a little talk."

* * *

Phoebe sat on the cave floor, her head in her hands, feeling like she was going to explode with frustration. She couldn't believe that Cole trusted this Seer, and they had been talking for what was certainly hours. They were discussing battle plans, ways in which the Source was vulnerable, and which demons would be the easiest to go after.

They tried getting her involved in the discussion, but she wouldn't. It seemed her whole life now was based around the Source and, quite frankly, it pissed her off. He had taken so much from her. If she had to talk about him while hiding from him, she'd go insane.

She already was, though. It felt that way. Her mind was constantly drifting back to her sisters, and thinking about them made her angry, too.

Yes, she and Cole had told Leo to make them stay far away from the Underworld, but she couldn't help but feel anger towards them for not even trying to save her.

She was being unfair, she knew, but she couldn't help it. If they loved her as much as she thought they did, then they would be defying Leo by now and blasting their way through the Underworld, going through every demon that got in their way in order to find her. That's what she would do, anyway.

Then something made her pause. What was wrong with her? She never bore this much negativity toward her sisters. Not unless they truly deserved it. And listening to Leo and staying away in order to stay safe definitely didn't qualify.

Maybe it was the exhaustion. Phoebe didn't think she had ever been this tired in her life. She'd have thought that a few hours sleep, even if it was on a cave floor in the Underworld, would solve that problem, but apparently nothing worked the same down here.

But it felt different, too. Almost as if her power were draining out of her along with her energy. It didn't feel good.

She turned to where Cole and the Seer were talking and debated on whether or not to tell Cole about this. He would probably tell her she was being silly. And paranoid. Besides that, he was so engrossed in his conversation with the Seer that he probably wouldn't be too happy about being interrupted. Even though she knew for a fact that the potion to turn Cole good again had worked, she didn't want a repeat of the scene that took place before that.

So that left her back at square one. Alone with only her thoughts. How she wished that there was some way that she could contact her sisters and let them know she was okay. That way maybe all three of them could have some closure. Not that this was goodbye. She was determined about that. She would see them again. She just didn't know when.

Then again, if Prue and Piper weren't looking for her, then would they really care whether Phoebe gave them closure or not? Phoebe's bitter feelings came back as sudden as remembering a vivid dream. Did they really care that she was in the Underworld? Or did they blame her for being exposed? Would they have run into the street if she had been there?

_Probably, _Phoebe found herself thinking. _It's not as if they would've listened to me anyway. I was just the irresponsible little sister to them. _And in their eyes, there was nothing more irresponsible then leaving Prue and Piper to fight Shax on their own, knowing that only the Power of Three could vanquish him, just to save her demonic boyfriend.

"Phoebe, look out!" Cole's voice interrupted Phoebe's thoughts, and she looked up to see a bald demon scowling, preparing to throw an energy ball at her.

Phoebe ducked just as the energy ball whizzed past her shoulder. Cole jumped in front of her and threw an energy ball back at the demon, who deflected it easily. Phoebe looked back to see if the Seer was still there.

She was, and when she saw Phoebe looking at her she smirked, as if she knew something that Phoebe didn't.

"Phoebe!" Cole shouted again. Without looking behind her, Phoebe did a backward somersault, dodging another energy ball.

Pissed, Phoebe took out her sword and swung at the demon.

This caught him off guard, but not for long. He snarled at her, and threw a punch her way. She dodged it and glanced at Cole. He motioned for her to keep the demon occupied so he could go in for the kill. She threw the sword aside and did what she did best.

She threw every martial arts skill she knew to the demon, glad that he was there so that she could vent some of her frustrations out on him. Punch, punch, punch, kick, swing, dodge, punch, kick. It all came second-nature to her now, and nothing this demon threw at her was a surprise. He was lousy in fighting, she observed.

It was a fact made evident by Cole's surprise energy ball flying into the demon, making him scream and explode the way all the demons did.

Cole looked at Phoebe once the demon was gone, sweat glistening on his brow. "You okay?" he asked.

"Yes." Phoebe leaned down to pick up her sword. As she did so, she was overcome dizziness. She felt extremely light-headed, and lost her step.

She fell to the ground in one motion, and was only semi-aware of Cole rushing forward to try and break her fall.

The last thing she was aware of was Cole's arms wrapped securely around hers as she faded out of consciousness.


	3. Plans and Paige

A/N: Thanks bunches to **Chlollie, Draco's-Loyal-Longing, Moni, **and** lizardmomma **for reviewing. Things start to pick up in this chapter, so I hope it is to everyone's satisfaction. Happy reading.

* * *

_Chapter Three_

Piper went to stand beside Prue by the Book and waited for Grams and Patty to begin.

"We heard about what happened to Phoebe," Grams started, pausing to see her granddaughters' reactions.

Prue waited for her to continue, wearing her poker face while Piper suppressed her impatience.

"We've been sent down here to guide you temporarily," Patty continued for Grams.

Piper stared at them for a moment before asking, "Guide us to what?"

"To your new destiny," Patty replied.

Prue and Piper exchanged exasperated looks. "The only destiny I want is to find Phoebe and put this whole mess behind us," Prue said angrily, crossing her arms.

Piper nodded in agreement.

"That's what we're trying to help you do, dear. But you won't be able to do it with a simple summoning spell and a couple of potions. You need the Power of Three," Grams interjected, raising her eyebrows and looking at Prue and Piper mysteriously.

Prue threw her hands in the air and gave her mother and grandmother a look that said, 'Are you serious?'

"How can we use the Power of Three when the third sister is missing?"

"By replacing her," Grams said simply, as though they should've known that all along.

"Replace her?" Piper looked at her mother in confusion, hoping she could clarify.

She did.

"I know it isn't an ideal solution, but if there is one thing you've learned by being witches, it's that everything happens for a reason. And this needs to happen, or else you might never see Phoebe again," Patty said softly, using the motherly tone that they both missed so much.

"But replace her with who? Another witch? I thought the Charmed Ones came from the Halliwell line," Piper stated, her eyebrows raised, waiting for one of the ghosts to go on.

Patty smiled lovingly at her middle daughter. "They do. And I think it's about time..." she looked to Penny for support, then turned back to her daughters, "...that you learned about Paige."

"Who is Paige?" Prue asked, thinking her mother was referring to a distant cousin or some other relative they would have otherwise not known about.

"My fourth daughter. And your half-sister," Patty said, holding her breath.

Piper's eyes opened wider. This couldn't be happening. They were playing a joke on them. They had to be. Phoebe was their mother's last child. How could there be another?

"What?" Prue asked in disbelief, looking from Patty to Grams, then back again.

"It happened after your father left, obviously. Sam and I grew closer as friends...then it became something more than that. We...well, a relationship blossomed, and I became pregnant," Patty explained.

"I don't remember you being pregnant after Phoebe. I think I would have noticed," Prue pointed out, laughing at the absurdity of the situation.

Patty shook her head sadly. "No, sweetie. You, along with your sisters, just thought I got a little fat. You had no idea I was pregnant, and after I gave birth to Paige, Sam and I took her to a local church. We asked the nun there to find a home for her, and that was the last time I ever saw her. By the time I got home, you didn't suspect a thing."

"So you gave her away?" Piper asked.

Patty nodded. "Sam and I had no choice. If the Elders ever found out that Sam and I had a child together, they might not have allowed you two and Phoebe to receive your powers. They might have denied you your destiny, and all the good you've done as witches wouldn't have happened. I couldn't take that chance, _we,"_she said, indicating herself and Grams, "couldn't let that happen."

Prue shook her head and Piper watched her, knowing she, like Piper, couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"So you guys lied to us our entire lives? You gave away our sister just because you were afraid that Piper, Phoebe, and I wouldn't be allowed to become the Charmed Ones? Don't you think that's a bit selfish?" Prue snapped.

Patty blushed, an impressive feat for a ghost. "Maybe, but what's done is done. And now that Phoebe is gone, the Elders are worried that Evil now has the upper hand. They need the Charmed Ones reconstituted and the balance restored."

"What makes you all think we're going to do this? What if we don't? What if we let the Charmed Ones stay broken forever?" Prue demanded, glaring at Grams and Patty with understandable anger.

Grams smiled sympathetically. "You won't, because then you would never see Phoebe again. Like it or not, this is your new destiny. Get angry at it, cry about it, but don't fight it."

"Just think about this if nothing else," Patty said, taking over for Grams, whose words had made Prue and Piper even more resistant than they already were. "The sooner you find Paige and get her to the Book with you, the sooner she will receive her powers and you can find Phoebe."

"I still don't see how replacing Phoebe with Paige is the only way to find her. Why can't we just go down to the Underworld and take her? Or use the 'To Call A Lost Witch' spell?" Piper said, speaking up again.

"Because Phoebe is too far gone. The call won't be strong enough," Grams replied, her voice softer this time.

Piper gulped then looked at her feet.

"Come, Patty. The rest is up to them," Grams said, and the sisters watched as their relatives disappeared in a swirl of bright white lights.

* * *

When Phoebe woke up, she was lying on her back on the ground of a different, much larger cave than the one they had previously been in. A black cotton blanket was draped across her.

A moment later she remembered the demon attack and the sword and feeling incredibly dizzy.

"Cole? Cole?" she called, finding that her voice was barely there.

No answer. She tried to sit up, her head throbbing as she did so. She wished desperately for an aspirin, but knew she would never find one down here.

"Cole?" she called again, a little stronger that time. "Cole, please answer me!"

Still there was no answer. Worried, she stood up and threw the blanket to the ground, raising her hand to her head, as the throbbing was only becoming worse.

She wanted to leave the cave, but knew she was too weak to fight should she run into any demons.

Then a thought occurred to her. What if Cole's been found? What if the Source was holding him against his will, waiting for Phoebe to come find him so that he could kill her?

Her head spun just thinking about it. She refused to believe that. Cole was too smart to get caught now. He must've been out finding food or water or something.

At the thought of food, Phoebe's stomach let out a loud grumble. She couldn't remember the last time she had eaten. Two days at least. Phoebe thought about the manor and Piper, cooking some exotic dish in the kitchen. She thought about it so hardly that she could practically smell the aroma of pasta and garlic bread. It helped the hunger, but at the same time made it that much worse.

Then an unexpected wave of jealousy filled her being. Prue and Piper were probably eating breakfast, enjoying the fact that they didn't have to share.

But deep down in her heart, Phoebe knew that wasn't true. Still, she couldn't shake off that annoying negativity towards her older sisters. Why was she suddenly feeling this way? Was it the amount of time she had spent in the Underworld?

Before she could dwell on the thought anymore, Cole entered the cave, holding two bottles of water and four pieces of toast.

"You're up. Thank god, I was beginning to worry," Cole said, giving Phoebe a quick yet passionate kiss.

"You left me here alone? Cole, what's the matter with you?" Phoebe asked incredulously.

"I put a concealment charm on this cave. Only you and I can come in here," Cole explained impatiently. "I thought you might be hungry." He handed her two pieces of toast.

"This was the best you could find?" Phoebe asked with a hint of annoyance. She took the toast nonetheless and took a bite out of one piece.

"I didn't want to steal too much lest someone be suspicious, and I couldn't buy anything since we have no money. This was the best I could do," Cole said, and handed her one of the bottles of water.

Phoebe gulped down half the bottle in one sip, knowing it wasn't the smartest thing to do but not caring.

"Phoebe, you might want to slow down. We don't know when we'll get another opportunity for nourishment," Cole explained hesitantly, noticing the changes in Phoebe's behavior.

"I thought the whole point of us staying down here was to stay alive. We can't very well stay alive without food, Cole!" Phoebe pointed out, a little more harshly than she had intended.

"Yeah, well, the more I travel up, the more they'll sense me, and if they sense me we're as good as dead. C'mon Phoebe. I know it's hard, but we've got to stick together. We need to follow our plan and find a way to kill the Source," Cole said, leaning down to hug Phoebe, his anger forgotten.

Phoebe sighed and nodded into his shoulder, knowing he could feel it. Cole was right. Him traveling back and forth wasn't smart, and they needed to be smart if they expected to survive.

"Speaking of killing the Source, where did the Seer go?" Phoebe asked, although she didn't really care.

"She's with the Source. We need her to distract him while we set the plan in motion," Cole explained, leading them both to the far corner of the cave where Phoebe had woken up.

"And what is the plan, exactly?" Phoebe asked, finishing the first piece of toast.

"We're still figuring that part out. But it shouldn't be too hard to do that. After all, you're one of the Charmed Ones, and I'm a powerful demon. Together we might be strong enough to vanquish him, but we need to get him up there somehow. He's the most powerful down here. He's weakened when he goes up, that's why he sends demons to do his bidding," Cole explained.

It didn't sound like a plan to Phoebe, and she told Cole as much.

"I don't see how we can kill him by ourselves. We've needed the Power of Three to vanquish some of his most powerful demons. How can a witch and a demon do it alone?" she asked.

"If we can tap into the magic of your ancestors and mine, we might be able to draw enough power to vanquish him. But it's a long shot. That's why we need the Seer to distract him. We need the element of surprise," Cole replied.

Phoebe still wasn't convinced, but didn't tell Cole that. He was trying so hard to keep them both alive.

"This is the main reasons you need to stay strong, Phoebe. We need to vanquish the Source soon if we expect to succeed," Cole continued, touching Phoebe's shoulder gently.

"How soon?" Phoebe whispered.

"By the end of the week."

* * *

"Are you sure this is the right place?" Piper asked as she and Prue stood in front of a green door, the number 11 plastered in the center in chipped gold numbers.

"It was the address Darryl gave us," Prue answered, looking at the address on the paper then looking up at the door.

Immediately after Grams and Patty disappeared Prue had called their police friend Darryl Morris, expressing to him the importance of finding this Paige woman. Of course it hadn't been easy since all they had to go on was a first name, but Darryl had checked into the church that Patty had left the baby at, and just tracked her down from there.

"So this is where our half-sister lives. Sort of anti-climatic, isn't it?" Piper asked, looking around the hallway in disgust.

"Well, if we expect to replace Phoebe and reconstitute the Charmed Ones, she won't be living here for very long," Prue stated, though the look on her face indicated that she agreed whole-heartedly with Piper.

"Ready?" Prue asked.

"As ready as I'm ever going to get," Piper replied, and nodded to her older sister to knock on the door.

Prue knocked hardly on the door three times. A second later the door opened, revealing a woman who looked to be in her early twenties. She had shoulder-length jet black hair and pale skin. She reminded Prue of Snow White, and a little bit of herself. _She has Mom's eyes, _Prue thought to herself.

The woman looked at the women with confusion. "Can I help you?" she asked.

Prue snapped out of it, remembering why they were here. "Hi. My name is Prue Halliwell, and this is my sister Piper. Can we come in?"

The woman hesitated. "I don't think that's a good idea. I'm late for work."

"It'll only take a minute. Please," Prue promised, staring into the woman's eyes, hoping that she could express the urgency they felt.

"Okay, but make it quick. But whatever you're selling, I'm not buying," the woman said as she opened the door so Prue and Piper could enter.

"We're not here to sell you anything. We're here to tell you something about your family. Paige," Piper said once they were inside, earning a shocked look from the woman.

"How'd you know my name is Paige?" she asked, alarmed.

Prue gave her what she hoped to be a friendly smile. "Because we think you're our sister. Our long lost half-sister from our mother's side."

Paige looked baffled yet intrigued. "Do you know something about my mother?" she asked.

Piper nodded. "If you are who we think you are, then we can tell you all about her. But first, you need to come with us."

"Where?" Paige asked, back to looking suspicious.

Prue took her hand and led her to the door. "Back to the Halliwell manor. We need to show you something."


	4. Replaced

A/N: Thanks so much to **PhoebeColefan, Draco's-Loyal-Longing, qtgirl, lizardmomma, **and** thaatgirrl **for reviewing. Glad to see you all are liking it. To qtgirl-Cole is not evil. He's just doing what he thinks is necessary to protect Phoebe. Hope you all like this chapter. Phoebe's odd behavior will be explained next chapter. Happy reading.

* * *

_Chapter Four_

Phoebe picked up the sword and kept her gaze focused on Cole's back. He was sitting in the center of the cave, his back to her. She raised the sword in silence, slowly creeping up on him. He didn't show any signs that he knew she was there, so Phoebe decided that this was the ideal time to swing her sword.

Just as she was about to bring it down, he stood up and turned around, grabbing the blade of the sword.

"Don't just assume that your opponent isn't paying attention just because he has his back to you. What if I had been the Source?You would've been dead before that sword could hit the ground," Cole explained, touching his forehead to Phoebe's, allowing them a couple of seconds to catch their breath.

They had been training for the past couple of days. Cole was worried that the Source would catch on to their plan, and he wanted Phoebe prepared in case he launched a surprise attack.

Phoebe thought she was doing a good job keeping up despite their disadvantage. There hadn't been many demon attacks; maybe one a day and they were all just happenstance. None of them had been sent by the Source; it had simply been wrong place wrong time.

Now that Phoebe was finally starting to adapt to the Underworld, she was starting to believe that they stood a chance. The Source was just another demon, right? Granted a big bad nasty one, but what made him so different? Power? Phoebe and Cole had power, too. Maybe even more if they joined forces.

Now that they had a plan--or at least an outline of a plan--Phoebe was beginning to feel better about the situation. She now believed that they stood a chance.

"I'll be ready next time. Let's start again," Phoebe promised, her voice soft against his.

Phoebe couldn't explain it, but she felt different somehow. More aware of what was going on around her. More independent, and more confident somehow. It was almost as if being away from her sisters was allowing her to realize her full potential. It was as though being a Charmed One was stifling her.

It was a great feeling.

She didn't tell Cole. She knew he'd worry and try to find out why she was feeling that way. But the truth was that she didn't know why it was happening, and she didn't care. It felt great. Empowering. She didn't want this feeling to ever go away.

"Are you ready?" Cole asked, the tip of his sword pointed directly at her neck.

As an answer she swung the sword at him with all her might, aiming for his bare stomach. He blocked the strike, and an all-out sword fight ensued.

Phoebe didn't know how she got so good so quickly. She guessed that it fell into how she was realizing her full potential. Whatever it was, it was empowering.

Cole was struggling to keep up. Sweat matted his brow, which was furrowed in concentration. The more he fought, the stronger she became, and the weaker he became. But he never fell behind, no matter how many times it looked as though he would collapse.

Phoebe had to respect him for not doing it.

She didn't know how much time they spent training, but eventually Cole stopped fighting and held his hands up, leaning over.

"Stop, Phoebe. That's enough for today."

"Oh come on baby. We were just getting started," Phoebe pouted, throwing the sword to the ground and walking over to him.

"No, _you _were just getting started. I feel like I'm going to pass out." Cole sat down on the ground, leaning his back against the far wall.

Phoebe followed him but didn't sit down. "But if we expect to defeat the Source, don't you think we should test our limits? It's not like the Source is going to let us rest just because we feel tired."

Cole looked up at her, a baffled look contorting his features. "What's gotten into you, Phoebe? You've been acting strange these past couple of days."

Phoebe rolled her eyes. "Oh come on, Cole, don't change the subject. You know I'm right. We need to reach our breaking points and learn to deal with them if we expect to succeed," she said, moving to pick up her sword again.

"Don't you change the subject," Cole countered. "You're different somehow."

"Why, because for the first time in my life I'm not being held back by my sisters? Not hiding behind their powers? I've got news for you, Cole, just because I don't have active powers--at least not strong ones--doesn't mean I'm powerless. These training sessions are helping, and we can't sit around talking about pointless issues when the Source has already figured out how he's going to kill us. We need to be prepared. And the first step in doing that is training,"she argued. It felt good to vent. She had no idea how long she had been feeling this way, but it felt good to let it off her chest.

"And if we over-do it, we could push our bodies too far, and as a result we'll be weak for a long time. And if the Source attacked if that happened, we wouldn't stand a chance. We need to rest," Cole snapped.

Phoebe was skeptical. A part of her believed him and wanted to listen to him, but another, much larger part of her knew he was wrong.

But she sat down beside him, sensing something was wrong. "Is it something I said?" she asked as she snuggled close to him.

"No, it isn't that. i just..." he trailed off, about to say something he didn't want to tell her.

"You just what? Tell me," Phoebe pressed. "No secrets between us, remember?"

Cole sighed, holding her closer to him. "Sometimes I wonder if it was such a good idea keeping you down here with me."

Phoebe pulled away from him, not expecting that. "What? How can you say that? Keeping me down here was the safest thing; otherwise the Source could have reset time again and we wouldn't have remembered. Prue and Piper would be dead and the Power of Three would've been gone forever," she reminded him.

Cole nodded. "Yes, I know that. But don't you wonder if...maybe things would've worked out better that way?"

"Don't say things like that. Because I'm down here, Prue and Piper are alive. Even if the Power of Three is separated doesn't mean that it no longer exists. Because of you, things are as they should be," Phoebe explained, feeling as though she were comforting a distraught child. Not that she thought of Cole that way.

"I know. You're right. Forget I ever said anything. Are you ready to give it another shot?" Cole asked, standing up and picking up his sword again.

Phoebe smiled knowingly. "I thought you'd never ask."

They got into position again, but before they got a chance to continue, Phoebe felt a strange sensation in her stomach. She doubled over, wincing.

"Phoebe, what's wrong?" Cole demanded, hurrying over to kneel by her side.

"I-I feel strange," she muttered. They both looked up as a swirl of white lights erupted from Phoebe and floated upward, out of the Underworld.

Cole gave Phoebe a worried expression. "What just happened?" he asked.

Phoebe stood up straighter and held her hands up. She tried levitating. When she hovered over the ground just a couple of inches before, now she couldn't even do that. "I uh...I think I just lost my powers."

* * *

"Is this where you guys live?" Paige asked in awe. Piper pulled the Jeep into the driveway by the side of the three-story red victorian mansion that had been in their family for generations. From the backseat Paige stared up at it in wonder.

"Yes, it is," Prue answered as they got out. Paige followed them up to the front door. She had to admit that she couldn't wait to see the inside of it.

Prue unlocked the door and walked inside first, followed by Piper and Paige. As Paige stepped in, she sat some old paintings lining the walls, plants on every available surface, and pristine rooms. Paige couldn't believe how immaculate the place was. She would've figured that two sisters living together in a house this size were bound to make messes somewhere.

She was impressed.

"If you like this, wait till you see the attic," Piper stated as she hung her brown leather jacket on the coat rack by the door. Prue and Paige followed suit.

"What was it that you were going to show me?" Paige asked.

"It's in the attic," Prue replied. Piper led them upstairs to the second floor, then to another, smaller staircase which Paige could only assume led to the attic. Piper opened the brown wooden attic door and the three women stepped inside.

Paige couldn't help but feel a small amount of disappointment. This was the messiest room in the house. Boxes lined the floor, and no one had bothered to dust in some time. The only clean area she could find was by the window. In front of it was a large wooden pedestal that held a large green leather-bound book.

This must've been what Prue and Piper wanted to show her since they were standing in front of it, smiling at her welcomingly.

"Paige, this is the Book of Shadows. It belonged to our mother, grandmother, and hundreds of Halliwell women before them. Now it belongs to us. And you if you are who we think you are," Prue began, and waved her hand as a gesture of wanting Paige to come closer.

Paige walked over, her curiosity getting the better of her. Piper stepped aside so that Paige could stand in the center. Prue had flipped it open to the very front page, which contained what looked like some sort of spell.

She looked up at Prue and Piper in confusion. "What is this?" she asked.

"This is a spell that we need you to read with us," Piper answered.

Paige looked from one sister to the other, hoping that one of them would burst out laughing at any minute and tell her that this was some sort of newly-discovered sister initiation.

But when she found that it was not a joke, she gulped. Everything inside her told her this was a bad idea, but she was intrigued. After all this, she wanted to know if this was going anywhere. It would make for a good story, if nothing else.

"What does this spell do?" she asked as she silently read the incantation on the page.

"Well, in theory, it should allow you to receive the power of the third sister," Piper replied.

"The third sister? Power?"

"Yeah...we're the Charmed Ones. We're the most powerful good witches the world has ever known. Well, at least we used to be," Piper started.

Prue continued where she left off. "The truth is that Prue and Piper used to be the Charmed Ones along with our younger sister Phoebe. But she's missing in the Underworld someplace, and we need your help to find her."

"Though that isn't the only reason we want you. You're our sister and we want you to do this with us. You deserve to know all of your sisters, and reconstituting the Charmed Ones with us is the only way you'll be able to do that," Piper finished.

Paige took a couple minutes to register what Prue and Piper had just said. _So there _is _an ulterior motive for this, _Paige thought to herself. _They just want me to find their sister._

But Paige didn't think that was the only reason they found Paige. Despite missing their other sister, Paige had a feeling that they genuinely wanted to get to know her. They wouldn't have gone through all the trouble of finding her if they were just using her.

Paige finally nodded. "Okay. I'm in."

Prue and Piper each gave her a wide smile, and Prue touched her hand in a comforting, sisterly gesture.

"Just say this spell with us," she said, and together they began chanting.

'_Hear now the words of the witches,_

_The secrets we hid in the night_

_The oldest of gods are invoked here_

_The great work of magic is sought._

_In this night and in this hour,_

_We call upon the ancient power_

_Bring your powers to we sisters three,_

_We want the power,_

_Give us the power.'_

Right after they finished saying the spell, the room was bathed in a brilliant gold light, and Paige felt a great warmth fill her body.

She moved away from the book to the center of the room. She couldn't explain it, but she felt different. Powerful, warm, different.

Magical.

"Sweetie? Are you okay?" Piper asked, her voice filled with concern.

At that moment a swirl of more white light shot up from the floor and entered Paige through her chest. Paige looked panicked at first, but Prue and Piper glanced at each other, each expressing a worried expression.

"What was that?" Prue asked, whispering so that Paige couldn't hear them.

"I don't know, although it sort of looked like our powers when we don't have them," Piper replied, the worry dripping from her voice.

"But that isn't how we got them the first time. I remember that the change just happened."

"Well, maybe since the power was already in Phoebe when we read it this time, it appears differently."

"You really think Paige just got Phoebe's powers?" Prue asked, looking alarmed.

"It makes sense. The prophecy said that the third sister has the power of premonition. And we replaced her with Paige," Piper answered.

"Hey, guys, what is this?" Paige interrupted.

Piper turned to see what Paige was talking about when she saw Paige hovering, blue and white orbs surrounding her body. It looked exactly like when Leo hovered while doing his meditation.

"I think you just got the power of levitation," Piper replied, then shot a confused look at Prue.

"Phoebe could never levitate like that," she pointed out, gesturing to Paige, who was gradually floating higher and higher toward the ceiling.

"Maybe the Whitelighter in her makes it work differently," Prue said. Piper opened her mouth to argue, then realized that her older sister was probably right. After all, Paige was half-witch half-whitelighter. Why would it work the same way as Phoebe?

"Do you think Phoebe knows her powers are gone?" Piper asked.

"Oh I would count on it. And I don't think she's going to be too happy about it."


	5. What Needs To Be Done

A/N: I'd like to thank **PhoebeColefan, qtgirl, lizardmomma, Draco's-Loyal-Longing, **and** thaatgirrl **for reviewing. I appreciate them all so much. For those of you who hate the Seer, believe me when I tell you that you aren't alone. But she plays an important role in the beginning of the story. She won't be around for much longer. Hope you like the next chapter. Don't forget to review, and happy reading.

* * *

_Chapter Five_

Piper called for Leo since neither she or Prue had any idea how to get Paige down. Leo usually had to help Phoebe down while she was getting the hang of levitating, but since Paige was half-whitelighter, Piper had the feeling that she would catch on more quickly.

"Guys? Are you going to get me down?" Paige asked, with only a hint of worry. Piper could tell the woman was inwardly freaking out, and she admired her for compartmentalizing it.

"I'm here, just hold onto my arms," Leo said as he orbed in. Piper watched as Paige's face contorted into confusion as Leo hovered up to get her down.

He slowly helped her down, and a few seconds later they were back on the floor. "Whoa...what was that?" Paige asked as she glanced up at the ceiling, as if it might have the answer to her question.

"You just levitated. It was one of Phoebe's powers," Prue explained, drawing their half-sister's attention back to them.

"Was?" Paige quipped.

Piper nodded. "Yeah...if everything went like they were supposed to, then you should have the power of levitation and premonition."

Paige frowned. "Premonition? You mean...I can see the future?" She looked skeptical.

"In theory. When Phoebe got a premonition she was either touching someone or something. It doesn't usually happen on command either, so don't expect to get control of it. But you'll get used to it," Piper answered.

"So if I got Phoebe's powers, then what happened to Phoebe? She's just out there somewhere powerless?" Paige asked.

Prue and Piper looked at each other, and Piper could see that Prue looked as guilty as Piper felt.

"Well...yeah. I guess there's no other way to put it," Prue said.

"So what happens next?" Paige asked, looking from Leo to Prue then Piper.

_Good question, _Piper thought to herself. Honestly she didn't have a clue. What she wanted was to capture as many demons as possible and get them to confess the whereabouts of Phoebe, but she didn't for two reasons. She didn't want Paige to feel like The Replacement, and it wouldn't do any good.

"We don't know. And since there is nothing more we can do right now, I think you should go to work. If you give us your cell phone and work phone numbers we can call you if anything comes up," Prue answered for her, smiling weakly.

Paige looked like she was about to object, but once she thought about it once more, she gave in and nodded.

"Okay." Paige took out a post-it note and a pen from her purse and wrote down the numbers and handed it to Prue.

"Please call me the minute something happens. I know this is new and it's going to take some getting used to, but I am your sister, so you don't have to hide anything. You can trust me," she explained gently, in that way that Piper remembered their mother having.

Prue nodded. "Of course. The minute something comes up."

Paige hugged both Prue and Piper in turn, then slowly walked out of the attic. Piper didn't ask how she was going to get to work without her car. Leo followed her out without another word, probably to orb her and save her the trouble of walking.

"So do you feel as guilty as I do?" Piper asked once both Paige and Leo were gone. She went to sit down on the white sofa by the window and Prue followed her but didn't sit down.

"Yeah. But more than that, something just doesn't seem right," Prue said with her arms crossed and her face contorted in one of confusion.

Piper could tell she was getting ready to go on a mission.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"Doesn't it seem weird to you that Paige got Phoebe's powers so easily? I mean, don't you think if the Charmed Ones were meant to be reconstituted it would take one of us to die?"

"Well, you heard what Grams and Mom said. This was supposed to happen. If we didn't, Phoebe could've died and we would've never seen her again," Piper argued, not really sure what Prue was reading into.

"But what if she already died?" Prue countered, beginning to pace.

"Don't talk like that. If she was dead, we would've found out about it."

"Would we? Phoebe's in the Underworld. Leo can't sense her so I'm sure the Elders can't either. Cole wouldn't come up and tell us. He'd never risk his own life for something like that."

Piper sighed and turned away, refusing to give Prue's argument a second thought.

"I'm serious, Piper. Think about it. How else would Paige be able to get her powers?" Prue demanded, her voice rising steadily.

"Because she was supposed to. I don't know about you, but I like to think that if one of died, the others would be able to sense it. If Phoebe was dead we would know. I know you're scared. So am I. With Paige in the mix, I don't know where we go from here. But we can't sit around here wasting time with pointless 'what-ifs.' Phoebe's not dead until there's a body."

Prue didn't give off any signs that she believed Piper, but she wasn't arguing anymore. Piper continued on.

"And besides. You know the Source would be flaunting it in our faces if he had killed one of the Charmed Ones. And since he isn't, I know for a fact Phoebe is still alive. And if I know her, she isn't one to sit around waiting for disaster to strike."

Prue smiled and sat down beside Piper, putting her arm around her. "You're right. I'm sorry. I'm just so scared, you know? I'm the big sister, and it's my job to protect you guys. I feel like I failed somehow."

"Hey, you did not fail. Definitely not. You didn't do anything wrong. In fact, if it wasn't for you I don't think we would've even made it this far," Piper said comfortingly, stroking her older sister's hair.

Prue shrugged. "I guess. But that doesn't stop me from worrying. I don't like thinking about my baby sister in Hell."

"I know. And we'll get her back. Just keep focusing on that."

Prue nodded. "We'll get her back. We'll get her back."

* * *

"How do we get your powers back? You can't expect to survive without them!" Cole exclaimed, wringing his hands together.

Phoebe scoffed at him. "Thanks for your support, Cole. I'm glad you have so much faith in me!"

Cole sighed exasperatedly. "You know what I mean. There is a reason mortals don't know about magic."

"So I'm a mortal now?" Phoebe said sarcastically.

"Phoebe, that's not what I meant and you know it. What the hell's gotten into you?" he asked, backing away from his girlfriend in irritation.

Phoebe frowned. "I don't know. It's been happening for the last couple of days."

"What?"

"These...feelings. I feel like I'm angry all the time, and most of it is directed at Prue and Piper."

"And you forget to mention it before because..."

Phoebe sighed. "I didn't think it was anything worth worrying about. It's probably because I've been down here fighting for my life while they've been up there, probably living it up now that I'm gone."

Cole frowned and took a couple of steps closer to her. "Is that really what you think?"

Phoebe shrugged. "I don't know what to think. I'm so damn confused right now. But can we talk about this later? Right now we have to find out why my powers are gone."

"Well, it doesn't take a genius to figure that one out. Your sisters called for your powers," Cole said, sitting down on a rock.

"What? Why would they do that?" Phoebe asked incredulously.

"My guess would be that they thought it would pull you out of the Underworld, though I don't know why they would. If Leo did what he said he would and warn them of the dangers of bringing you up there..." Cole trailed off.

Phoebe shook her head slowly. "No, they wouldn't have used that spell if they wanted to pull me out. There are about a dozen summoning spells they could've used like the To Call A Lost Witch spell. They wouldn't have taken my powers. They know how vulnerable I'd be down here without them," she explained, even though she knew deep down that if they thought it was for the greater good they would.

Cole seemed to be thinking along the same lines. "Are you sure about that? Who else would take your powers like that? Certainly not a demon. Your powers left by a spell, and the only people who use spells are witches. Demons and warlocks kill for powers. Which means that only your sisters would be able to call for your powers like that."

"But why would they..." Phoebe traied off as realization struck.

"They must think you're dead. Either that or they've replaced you somehow," Cole answered for her.

"No. They would know it if I died. But the other explanation doesn't make any sense either. They couldn't replace me. We're the Charmed Ones," Phoebe said, in denial.

"Then why else would they need your powers?"

Phoebe didn't bother to reply since she knew Cole was right. The betrayal hit her hard in the stomach, almost as if she had ran right into a brick wall.

"Why would they replace me?" she asked, the hurt evident in her voice. She looked up at Cole desperately.

"My guess would be to find you sooner. But you can't let it get to you, Phoebe. They wouldn't have taken your powers if they didn't think you could survive down here without them," Cole said soothingly.

Phoebe tried to believe him, but she couldn't let go of the anger she felt at the realization over what they did.

"But they did. And they shouldn't have. They were _my _powers. Not theirs to do with what they pleased. Who are they to just replace me like that?" she snapped.

Now Cole looked worried. "Uh, Phoebe? Are you okay?"

Phoebe blinked as she realized what she had just said. "Yeah, baby. Sorry. I can't help it."

"Don't worry. It's probably just a side effect of being down here for so long. It's emotionally draining on someone who isn't supposed to be here," Cole replied. He stood up and walked over to Phoebe and embracing her in a comforting hug. "But I'm not going to let anything happen to you, Phoebe. I promise."

Phoebe smiled into his stomach. "I know."

They stayed silent for a couple of minutes, Cole rubbing his hand up and down against Phoebe's back. Phoebe appreciated it. Every time she needed him he always came through for her, regardless of whether his intentions were good or bad. She believed him when he told her that he would protect her. It was the only reason she still felt safe in the Underworld despite being trapped down there with no powers.

"Well, isn't this a touching scene," an unexpected Jamaican-accented voice said sarcastically.

Phoebe and Cole jumped as the Seer came into the cave. Phoebe inwardly groaned.

"Do you need to be here?" she scowled as she reluctantly released her grip from Cole. He did the same thing.

"What have you come to report?" Cole asked, directing the demon's attention to him.

"The Source is closing in. He thinks he knows where you are, and he's preparing to attack."

"What?!" Cole burst out, striding over to the Seer and raised his hand, obviously about to strike her in his anger.

"You didn't let me finish. I said he _thinks _he knows where you are. I led him away in the other direction, but he won't be fooled for long. Either we put the plan into action now, or he'll catch on and we'll all be dead," the Seer replied, looking from Cole to Phoebe and back again with obvious impatience.

"How do we know you're telling the truth?" Phoebe cut in suddenly.

"I beg your pardon?" The Seer asked, not accustomed to being interrupted, and certainly not by a witch.

"How do we know you aren't reporting everything we say back to the Source? How do we know he isn't outside right now listening to this conversation?" Phoebe clarified, deciding that she couldn't stay silent any longer.

The Seer smirked in amusement, and Phoebe regretted not allowing Cole to hit her. "If that were true then you would already be dead."

Phoebe stared at her, trying to decide if she were telling the truth. She looked for all the signs of lying as she had learned in her psychology classes, but the Seer was hard to read. She looked up at Cole for help.

"She's right, Phoebe. The Source isn't known for his patience, and if he knew where we were he would've attacked. She's telling the truth," he explained.

For a minute Phoebe felt relieved although it didn't last very long. "I still don't trust her. Why do we need her? We can do this alone."

"Not if we want the plan to work," Cole snapped.

Fed up with everything, Phoebe crossed her arms and shifted her feet, glaring daggers at Cole. "Okay, then Cole. What exactly is the plan?"

Cole and the Seer exchanged glances. They looked as though they were trying to decide whether or not they should tell her. Phoebe was annoyed. She was sick of being treated like the untrustworthy child.

"Cole, whatever you guys have thought up, it involves me too. If you want this to work, you have to tell me," Phoebe said.

Cole mulled it over, but finally nodded. "Okay. You're right. But you aren't going to like it."

"If it helps get rid of the Source, I'll like it," she retorted, though she was weary anyway.

"We have to make the Source believe we're dead to catch him off guard," Cole explained bluntly. He was looking into Phoebe's eyes as though we were searching for something, but Phoebe had no idea what.

"Why wouldn't I like that?" Phoebe asked. She couldn't see what the big deal was, and if Cole thought she would have a problem with something as trivial as that then he obviously...

Cole cut off her thoughts. "Because in order to make the Source believe we're dead, we also have to make the outside world think we are, too."

Phoebe frowned, looking from Cole to the Seer. When she saw that they were both quite serious, she grew angrier by the second. "Which by default means that my sisters need to believe it too."

"Yes."

"Forget it." Phoebe turned around and walked away from them.

"Phoebe, wait," Cole said desperately, following after her. Phoebe didn't listen to him. "I know that this will be hard, but we have to do it. Otherwise all of this will have been for nothing."

"I can't put them through that! Especially Prue. Even if she doesn't remember it or not, she already experienced the pain of Piper dying. So did I. I can't let them go through that again, it would kill them!" she exclaimed, then said in a lower voice, "It would kill me."

Cole brought her closer to him for a second time. "I know it's going to be hard, but it's only temporary. Just long enough for us to be able to vanquish the Source. After that everything will go back to normal."

"I don't know, Cole. I don't know if I can."

The Seer stepped forward. "Enough of this. It is the only way to defeat the Source. If you can't bring yourself to do what it takes, then you don't have the power to vanquish him anyway. You might as well stab yourself with your sword right now."

Phoebe's face contorted with rage, appalled that this demon thought she could speak to her that way. "Don't you dare talk to me like that! I could say a spell right now and vanquish you!"

The Seer smirked with pride. "You don't have the power."

"I have enough power to make you suffer for eternity," Phoebe said venomously.

Cole cut between them. "I hate to interrupt this little power trip, but we don't have time for it. Phoebe, like it or not, faking our deaths is the only way to catch him off guard. He's going to be cocky, and when he's cocky, his guard his down. We have to do this or else we're going to be stuck down here for a very long time. You don't deserve that."

Phoebe eyed the Seer, not willing to be the first to surrender, but nodded in defeat since she had no choice. She nodded reluctantly.

"Okay. Let's do this."

The Seer nodded, and the fight between them was forgotten. "We have to make this believable."

Cole nodded in understanding. "This might hurt a little."

Phoebe knew instantly what he was going to do. She could see from his eyes that he was going to feel guilty forever, but it needed to be done. She closed her eyes, waiting for the impact.

"I'm sorry, Phoebe," Cole said. Then he formed an energy ball in his hands, as low voltage as he could muster, then threw it at his girlfriend, causing her to scream and fall unconscious to the floor.

Once Phoebe was out, Cole turned to the Seer. "Turn me in."


	6. Where Do We Go From Here?

A/N: Oh man, this chapter was really hard to write. That's why it wasn't posted yesterday. But I wanted it to be good, as opposed to just being posted and being crap.

**thaatgirrl: **Yeah, Paige getting Phoebe's powers should be very interesting. You should see her use them next chapter. Glad you're liking the story.

**lizardmomma: **Yes, all the negative energy in the Underworld was affecting Phoebe in a strange way, but hopefully in this chapter you'll find out why. If not, it should be in hte next chapter. Glad you like it!

**Draco's-Loyal-Longing: **I'm glad you liked it! Hopefully you'll like this chapter too. Prue is always keeping her emotions inside, and Piper knows how to get her to open up.

* * *

_Chapter Six_

Cole wanted to tear his throat out. Even though he knew that Phoebe would be okay after he hit her with a low-voltage energy ball, he hated himself for causing her that brief moment of pain. He held her in his arms and looked at her sleeping face. She was probably dreaming of someplace exotic, like Paris. In a strange way, he felt a little better believing that he could get her away from the Underworld, no matter how temporary.

The Seer walked behind them in order to keep up appearances for any demons they passed. It was her job to get them into the Source's lair in order to execute their plan. As they walked, Cole muttered the vanquishing spell under his breath. They only had one shot at this. If they screwed up, they were dead. Cole didn't want that to happen just because he blew the spell.

Phoebe had written it the previous day It combined the magic from the Halliwell line and the long line of demons that came before Cole. He had been impressed by it, and knew that if it didn't work, it would be by some underlying factor.

Of course, Cole's new concern was that the spell might not work anymore now that Phoebe was no longer a Charmed One. She was still a witch but she no longer bore one-third of the Power of Three.

_This is ridiculous, _Cole thought. _Phoebe is still a witch, and a Halliwell witch at that. She isn't completely powerless. _

He needed to stop obsessing and just take action like he always did. That was what made him such a great demon. He just needed to get this over with. For Phoebe's sake.

"Are you ready?" the Seer asked once they were outside the entrance to the cave in which the Source resided.

Cole nodded. "Yes. Of course."

But the Seer shook her head. "Not just physically ready, but emotionally and mentally as well. Once the Source realizes that this is a set-up, he is going to attack with his full strength. If you die, or the witch, will you two be able to carry out the plan no matter what?"

Cole nodded again, this time less patiently. "We are both ready. Now lead us in."

The Seer bowed her head in understanding, then brushed past Cole and Phoebe. Cole couldn't hear what they were saying, and he didn't know whether that put him even more on edge, or whether it calmed him down. He looked down at Phoebe's unconscious form. When the time was right she would wake up and they would send the Source straight into oblivion where he belonged.

* * *

Prue had gone into work about an hour after Paige left, and Leo had gone to consult with the Elders about what their next move should be, so Piper was left at home alone.

The house was so quiet without Phoebe. Piper hadn't really gotten the chance to notice it yet since they'd been so busy with finding Paige and making her aware of their Charmed destiny, but now that things had calmed down a bit, that fact was making itself quite known.

Piper found herself in Phoebe's room, trying to feel her presence despite the emptiness. Phoebe had always brought a liveliness to the Halliwell manor. When she was around things were never boring. Piper remembered how things had been when Phoebe lived in New York. Prue and Piper had lived here alone and while Prue had always said she didn't miss Phoebe at all and hardly noticed she was gone, Piper had always felt as though the house were missing something.

Only when Phoebe had moved back in did Piper realize what that something was. Piper had taken it for granted, and now that Phoebe was gone again, Piper realized just how much she had taken that sense of completion for granted.

But despite Phoebe's absence, they had found another sister in Paige. Though Piper didn't quite think of Paige as a sister yet, there was no denying the Halliwell in her. She had the spirit and determination of the Halliwell women who had come before her. She reminded Piper of Prue the most. They had the same hair, eyes, build, and determination. But she had the same spirit and eagerness as Phoebe. Paige had welcomed being a witch almost as much as Phoebe had.

Piper could only hope that Paige wouldn't end up where Phoebe had.

With a sad sigh, Piper took one last look at Phoebe's room, then left and closed the door behind her. Staying any longer would make her want to try a summoning spell, and everything in her being told her that it wasn't a good idea.

So instead she went downstairs to the kitchen and took out the largest pot they had. She was going to do something that Grams had taught her, and just cook whatever came to mind. Improvising had never been her strong point, but it kept her hands busy and her mind preoccupied.

After a while she forgot what all she had put into her creation, and twenty minutes later she spooned it to see what she had.

A golden brown broth.

Piper considered taking a sip, but she didn't have the courage. Instead, she turned the stove off and put all the ingredients back then washed her hands. She dumped the broth down the drain then cleaned the bowl.

As she was putting the pot back underneath the counter, she heard Leo orb in. She looked up and saw him watching her with a grave expression on his face.

"What did you find out?" Piper asked as she moved past him to the kitchen table.

Leo followed her but he didn't sit down. Instead he stood over her with his arms crossed. It was apparent that whatever he found out, it wasn't good news. Piper prepared herself by thinking whatever it was, they could handle it.

"I think this is something you and your sisters need to hear together," Leo stated, his eyes glazing over.

Piper looked at him suspiciously, wondering why he couldn't just tell her now.

"Please, Piper. This isn't easy for me to say," Leo continued, his voice shaky with what could only be described as grief.

Piper felt her heart stop at this realization, and she was sure she already knew what Leo needed to tell them, but refused to believe it until he said the words out loud.

"I'll call Prue and Paige," she said, standing up and walking over to the phone.

First she called Prue and told her to hurry home, then called Paige and said the same thing. They both promised that they would be there soon. Then all Piper could do was wait since Leo was determined to remain close-lipped until the sisters were together.

Paige got back first since she worked closer to the manor. She looked worried that something had come up so fast but eager to use her newly acquired powers.

When Prue got home, she looked much less eager and worried, almost as if she already knew what Leo was about to tell them. She gave Piper a knowing look, but Piper refused to acknowledge her.

Piper led them into the living room where Leo was waiting, pacing the room with his brow furrowed in concentration, as if he were preparing himself to deliver bad news. Piper already had the sneaking suspicion that he was about to.

"What's the emergency?" Paige asked.

Leo jumped at hearing the unexpected voice and turned to face them. When he saw that they were all together, he motioned for them to take a seat on the sofa.

"You guys will want to sit down for this," he mumbled.

Paige and Prue sat down on the sofa while Piper sat on the armrest. They all looked up at Leo expectantly.

He took a deep breath before beginning. "As you all know, I went up to consult with the Elders to find out if they knew anything we didn't. While I was up there, they received some news."

Leo paused and took a minute to collect himself. While the sisters didn't want to rush him, they needed to know what he found out, and Prue was the one to get him to continue.

"What did the Elders find out?" she asked gently.

Realizing that there was no prolonging the news any longer, tears formed in Leo's eyes. This confirmed Piper's suspicions and she looked at the ground, not wanting him to see her tears.

"The Source...they found Cole and Phoebe...well, the Source reported not too long ago that they are...they're dead," he sobbed, and couldn't hold back his cries any longer. He collapsed to the ground where his cries echoed in the room.

Piper went down to join him, touching his cheek with her own. Leo grabbed her and used her body as his rock, taking whatever solace as he could in her. They cried together for a long time, and Piper lost track of everything around her. She had no idea if Prue and Paige were still there or not.

"Was...it the Source?" Piper asked after a while. Tears were still streaming down her face, but her sobs had finally subsided.

Leo sighed. "That's what it sounds like. The Underworld is celebrating like it's Christmas."

At this fresh tears formed in Piper's eyes, only this time it was from anger as well as grief. How could the demons just celebrate her younger sister's death as though it were nothing more than a milestone. To them it was a holiday. It was appalling and yet so utterly predictable.

"How do we move on from this?" Piper cried, burying her face in Leo's chest. It didn't feel real yet.

"I don't know. But...you guys need to stick together. _We _need to stick together. We need to grieve, but then we need to pull ourselves together because eventually you, Prue, and Paige are going to have to take care of the Source," Leo said, making an attempt at giving a pep talk, even though both of them knew that it wouldn't do any good.

Piper stared at him in disbelief. "You just tell me that my sister is dead, and you expect us to go after the Source? Leo, this changes everything!"

"How so? I would think you would _want _to go after the Source, for revenge if nothing else," Leo argued.

Piper sighed, feeling as on edge as she had ever been before. "Maybe that's exactly what he wants. What if that's what he expects?"

"You don't know that."

"Neither do you! Leo, he killed Phoebe! What would you do if it were your sister?" Piper asked desperately.

Leo watched as a silent tear trickled down Piper's cheek. "I do think of them as sisters, Piper. I feel like a big part of me died with Phoebe, and it's not just the Whitelighter part of me talking. And yes, we should all take the time to grieve, but it doesn't end there. The Source isn't going to stop going after you guys and innocents. You can't give up your Charmed duty." He sighed then met Piper's red eyes with his own. "Phoebe wouldn't want you to."

"But how do we move on from something like this?" Piper cried.

Leo wrapped around her in a loving hug. "I don't think you ever really do. But you have to try as best as you can, otherwise it'll tear you apart."

"Leo, she's my baby sister! I feel like I failed her somehow! We should've gone down there and saved her when we had the chance, we had so many opportunities!" Piper leaned into him, wishing that she could somehow pass her grief into him.

Leo didn't reply, and Piper took that as a sign that he agreed with her. But a small part of her was angry at him. He was the one who had always talked them into not summoning Phoebe or going down to the Underworld and bringing her back up themselves. She didn't know if she could ever forgive him for that.

"Piper, this isn't your fault. She wasn't any safer up here then she was down there. The Source would've attacked if he had seen an opportunity," Leo replied.

"But at least we could've been there to protect her! She would have had a fighting chance with the Power of Three. Down there...it was only a matter of time before he got her," Piper sobbed, wiping the tears away.

They didn't say anything after that since it was clear they disagreed with each other. Piper stood up and decided to go see Prue and help her deal with what was going on since it wasn't in Prue's nature to show any sign of vulnerability.

She could only hope that Prue wouldn't take it personally.

* * *

"Belthazor. What an unexpected surprise," The Source drawled deeply.

Cole was kneeling at the Source's feet, Phoebe lying behind him on the floor. "I've come to my senses, my liege. The witch is dead by my hand. I have brought her body to you as a peace offering."

It pained him to say it, but he had to if he expected this to work. He didn't dare look up at the Source to see if he believed him or not; his actions and words would tell Cole all he needed to know.

"Bringing me a Charmed One might have earned you favor in the past, but it doesn't make up for betraying me!" The Source declared.

Cole bowed his head in understanding. He had been expecting that, of course. The Source did not forgive easily.

"I understand. That is why I've brought myself to you. I come to you willingly and accept any punishment you see fit to bestow upon me," he said.

"Is that so?" The Source sneered. At least that was what Cole imagined him doing, judging from his confident tone of voice. "Two birds with one stone? I can live with that. Stand up, Belthazor. I want you to accept your punishment like the demon you once were."

Cole was up in an instant and stood at parade rest while the Source circled him, as though wondering what to do with him. Cole prayed that he would take his time. He wasn't sure if Phoebe was still unconscious or if she was just pretending. He expected the latter since he hadn't hit her too hardly.

"You were once a great demon, Belthazor. One of my best and finest. You were well on your way to taking my place. And then, right when you were at the top of your game, you fall in love with a witch." The Source spit on the ground just inches away from Phoebe's face. "She ruined you. Made you a weak, pathetic excuse for a demon. You've fallen far, and you've fallen far. If you expect to make up for the witch's damage, you need to do a little bit of your own."

Cole wanted to vanquish the Source then and there for spitting at Phoebe, but he didn't dare move. Instead he could only watch as the Source sized him up, as though wondering whether he could do the task he expected Cole to do.

"Anything, my liege," Cole stated.

The Source paused for a moment, then nodded. "I need for you to get rid of the evidence. I want to send a message to her sisters, saying this is what happens when they try to go up against me. I want them to suffer. That is why I want her body gone."

Cole bowed his head in understanding, and turned to face Phoebe. She was still laying where Cole left her. He took a quick look behind him to see if the Source was watching. He was, and Cole shot his head back.

"Well? Get on with it!" The Source bellowed.

Cole nodded, and formed the biggest energy ball he could manage. He hesitated for just a second, then turned on his heel and threw it at the Source with all the strength he could muster.

"Now!" Cole exclaimed, praying that Phoebe was awake.

Cole saw out of the corner of his eye that Phoebe was up and Cole continued throwing energy balls at the Source, knowing that it wasn't going to hold him for long.

"Prudence, Penelope, Melinda, Patricia, Astrid, Helen, Laura, and Grace," Phoebe began.

Cole jumped in and said his part, "Jax, Lirg, Hawkins, and Elizabeth."

"We combine all magic from our demon-witch line and call to you from this place, vanquish this evil from time and space!" Cole and Phoebe chanted together.

"NO!" The Source exclaimed, insane with rage that his two worst enemies had managed to fool him so quickly and easily.

"That's what you get for messing with a powerful witch and powerful demon," Phoebe hissed at him, watching with fascination and happiness as the Source exploded in a mass of fire. It engulfed him, and soon there was nothing.

Cole stared at the spot in shock. "Did we actually manage to vanquish the Source?" he asked as he turned to Phoebe.

Phoebe snuggled in to him and hugged him to her tightly. "I think we did."

"Congratulations," The Seer said from behind them.

Phoebe groaned. "What is she still doing here? She's served her purpose."

"I have to say I agree."

"Can I do it? Please?" Phoebe whined to Cole.

Cole looked from Phoebe to the Seer, who was watching the display with confusion.

"Do what? You don't honestly expect to vanquish _me, _do you?" The Seer asked in outrage.

"Why not? As I said earlier, you've already served your purpose. Why else would we need you?" Phoebe asked, mimicking the Source and sizing her up while circling her.

"She's got a point, you know," Cole put in.

The Seer looked at Cole in frustration. "That's the Source in you talking. If you expect to control his power, you need me."

Both Phoebe and Cole stopped in their tracks and glared at the Seer with fury. "What did you just say?" Cole demanded.

The Seer smirked. "Really, Belthazor. Of all people, I would have expected you to know how this works."

"How what works?" Cole asked impatiently.

"If you vanquish the Source, you become the Source. And that evil power you're suddenly feeling? That's part of it."

"You didn't tell us this when we agreed to your plan!" Cole yelled, and glared daggers at the Seer. He couldn't remember ever feeling that much hatred towards one person in his entire life.

Then a strange thing happened.

In one swift motion, the Seer erupted in flames. Cole watched with a disturbing fascination despite his surprise. Then, before either Cole or Phoebe knew what happened, the Seer disappeared just as quickly as the Source had.

"Cole? What just happened?" Phoebe asked, sounding a bit fearful.

"I think I just vanquished her," Cole replied, though he no longer felt any surprise or remorse about it.

And, apparently, neither did Phoebe. She smiled in a way that Cole had never seen her do before and wrapped her arms around his body seductively.

"It's about time," she murmured.

Cole had to agree with her. Having the Source's power might actually come in handy. He decided not to fight it, but embrace it. Soon enough, he would have control of the Underworld.

And with Phoebe at his side, they would be unstoppable.


	7. Promises And Empty Hearts

A/N: I'm hoping to update _When You Left _tomorrow or sometime soon. But since school has now started, I'm going to have to start splitting my focus. It's what happens in college as we all know! Also, sorry I'm not going to be answering your reviews, just know that I appreciate **PhoebeColefan, kagomekikyo-arrow, Draco's-Loyal-Longing, lizardmomma, **and** Cole + Phoebe = Love Forever **for all your wonderful reviews. Hope you all like this next chapter!

* * *

_Chapter Seven_

Prue jumped as someone knocked twice on her door. She hastily wiped the tears away from her eyes and made like she was sorting through the clothes in her closet.

"Prue?" Piper's voice came from the entrance to her room, and Prue couldn't help but roll her eyes. Piper was coming into _her _room after all. Who else would be in here? "Prue, honey, do you want to talk?"

Piper's voice was shaky, and Prue could tell that she was trying very hard to hold it together after her meltdown with Leo. Prue put on her strong face and turned to face her younger sister. She smiled and touched her hand to Piper's shoulder.

"I'm fine, Piper. I was just thinking that now would be a good time to get some spring cleaning done. You know I've been meaning to throw out all my old clothes forever," Prue said as though she hadn't just been crying her eyes out just a moment ago.

She sprung over to her closet once more as if to prove her point, but she knew that if she could see Piper at that moment, she would've seen a disapproving scowl.

"You're cleaning now?"

Prue nodded. "Yeah, well, no time like the present." She took out a dark green halter top and held it out at arms length and inspected it. She remembered the time Phoebe had worn it to P3 on one of her many dates not too long ago. She remembered being so pissed at her that she refused to speak to her for two days, even though she knew she was being petty and childish. After all, it had only been a stupid shirt.

Somehow, though, she couldn't find the strength to do anything with it. Unexpected tears fought to the surface and clouded Prue's sight despite all her efforts to keep them at bay.

"Oh honey, come here," Piper soothed and took Prue's arm and led her over to the bed. That gesture became too much and Prue broke down for the second time that day.

"It's okay, Prue. We're all hurting here. You can let your guard down for a minute or two," Piper continued, stroking Prue's back.

"B-B-But, I was so...so h-hard on her...I ne-never got the ch-chance...to t-tell her...how s-sorry I was!" Prue gasped between sobs. She couldn't remember ever feeling this much grief over one person before in her entire life. Not even when their mother died.

Prue felt rather than saw Piper's eyes cloud up with tears and she hugged Prue closer to her. Prue returned the gesture and accepted the tissue Piper held out to her. She gratefully took the opportunity to blow her nose.

"We...we should have d-done something," Prue continued. "We...we should h-have s-summoned her b-back."

Piper took a minute to collect herself. "Prue, you know that wouldn't have done anything. We all would've been dead. We're no match for the Source."

At this Prue pulled away and went back to stand by the closet. She still held the green halter top in her hands. "At least we would've been together!" she cried. "We would've been able to say goodbye that way!"

Prue sank to the ground, covering her red, blotchy face with the halter top so that Piper wouldn't see. She never showed this much vulnerability to anyone, least of all her sisters. She didn't want them to see her as weak because then they might not believe that she could take care of them.

"Oh sweetie." Piper knelt down to console her older sister, and the two sisters cried together for what felt like ages. Prue didn't have the strength to get up, and she wasn't sure she wanted to. She believed that if she just stayed in that place in that moment, then the whole world would go away, and it would just be Piper and herself.

"It's not fair. It should've been me," Prue said after a while.

"Don't say things like that. It shouldn't have been any of us. There was nothing we could've done," Piper argued, but Prue just shook her head.

"No, Piper. It should have been me. I'm the oldest sister; it's my _job _to protect this family. Phoebe's death is my fault. I should've been down there with her, I should've watched over her better! All I ever did was yell at her and bitch about how irresponsible she was when, in fact, she was one of the most responsible people I've ever met. I never told her that...and now I'll never be able to," Prue said desperately, searching Piper's eyes for some sign of understanding.

Piper just gave her a sympathetic smile. "Oh Prue, you didn't have to tell her. She already knew. She knew how much you loved her, and she knew how hard you protected this family. We all did. And we still do."

"But it's not enough. I should've told her all that. I should've given her the time." Prue looked down, not sure whether it was the grief or the guilt that was weighing her down more. "She deserved that much."

Piper didn't reply, and Prue was silently grateful for that. It hurt to talk; all it did was remind her over and over again just how much of a failure she really was.

Yet, at the same time, it felt good to let some of her guilty feelings to the surface. It brought closure to her somehow, and she believed that somehow, the messages would get back to Phoebe so that she would know just how much Prue really loved her.

"You know I never told her that I didn't mind her borrowing my clothes all the time," she stated.

Piper frowned disbelievingly. "You never told us that before."

Prue shrugged helplessly. "Well, you know...deep down I was really flattered that you guys wanted to dress like me and be like me. I mean yeah, sometimes I'd get annoyed that she would do it without asking _all the time, _but really I sort of liked it. It made me feel appreciated and loved as an older sister, you know?"

Piper laughed and nodded. "Yeah. I do." Then she turned serious again. "But you know, as much as Phoebe means to us, we have another sister out there. And even though we don't know her all that well and she doesn't know us, she lost a sister too. And she probably needs our help trying to get through it and to understand just what she's lost."

Prue nodded slowly. "You're right. We should. I guess I'm just having trouble opening my heart up to someone else when I'm not quite ready to let go of Phoebe. She was our baby sister, you know?"

Piper nodded and hugged her again as Prue began crying again. "I understand. I feel the same way. But Paige lost a sister too, and we've got a duty as older sisters to look out for her. Phoebe wouldn't want us to turn our backs on her."

"Okay. You're right." Prue stood up and wiped her eyes with the back of her sleeves. "Let's go."

She wrapped her arm around Piper's shoulders and they headed to the door. On the way out, Prue threw the halter top on her bed.

* * *

"Cole, are we ever going to back up? My skin is starting to turn pale," Phoebe shuddered as she inspected her hand.

Ever since they had vanquished the Source, Cole had been on edge. Some might even go so far as to say paranoid. They'd been running from cave to cave because Cole was worried that there would be demons everywhere ready to challenge him for his power.

Every time Phoebe told him that he was being crazy and that no one else knew that he was the Source he would get this look in his eye and tell her that it was better to be careful then to be dead.

Now Cole shook his head and peered around the corner to check for rogue demons ready to start a fight. "We just have to stay down here for a little while longer. Just until we know it's safe to go back up."

"But Cole, you're the Source! You have more power than all of them combined! You should be rubbing their noses in it," Phoebe argued.

"Phoebe, you haven't been evil even half as long as I have. You don't know how demons work."

Phoebe scoffed. "I've vanquished enough of them over the last three years to have a pretty good idea."

Cole sighed impatiently. "Okay, but you don't know how they _work. _There's a system this. It's a very complicated hierarchy. I may be the Source and you may be my queen, but that could all change by tomorrow. All we'd need is one slip up and end up in the demonic wasteland for eternity. And believe me, Phoebe. That is one place you _never _want to go."

Phoebe gulped and felt a small pinch of fear, but only for a minute. She didn't care what Cole said. He was the Source, and he should have every demon in the Underworld absolutely terrified of him. He needed them to respect him, not him to be afraid of them.

"But Cole, how many demons do we have to run away from before we're safe? In the end it doesn't matter how long we run. In the end, the Underworld is going to be a much safer place once everyone knows that they have a new leader instead of fighting in chaos," Phoebe argued with her hands on her hips.

"Phoebe, if we rush this, we could be in more danger than we were when the old Source was still alive."

"We're just as dead if you don't get coronated and claim your throne!"

Cole didn't say anything, and Phoebe could see that he was thinking it over. She decided to push him a little further.

"I'm sick of running. I just want to be with you and not worry about whether I'll be alive tomorrow!"

It felt like a century, but Cole finally nodded and gave in. "You're right."

Phoebe smiled. She'd already known that, but it felt nice to hear him say it anyway.

"Of course I am. Now, do you know where the coronation sight is?" she asked, changing the subject.

"I think I have an idea," he said and held out his arm for her to take.

She gave him a knowing look and took it. "Where are we going?"

He smirked, and Phoebe was finally starting to see the Source in him. "Deep in the Underworld. Further than even I have been."

Phoebe then felt the all too familiar feeling of being shimmered to another location, and a second later they were standing in what could only be called a lair. It was lit by firelight and a large, black pedestal stood in the center with a matching black stepping block in front of it.

She also noticed the hoards of demons standing by it. Well, not standing as much as arguing heatedly. She didn't have to have premonitions to know what they were talking about.

"Hey!" Cole yelled across the chatter, and the place was immediately silent.

Phoebe followed as Cole stepped up onto the block and held out his arms as a sign of the power he now wielded. She also noticed his eyes glaze over into a dark black pit for only a second before they were burned away with fire, and his normal eyes now watched over the room.

"I have come to tell you that there will be no more in-fighting. At least, not for the power of the Source. I am the Source now, and I'll be reigning over you with my queen. Phoebe?" Cole turned to let Phoebe know to make her presence known.

Phoebe took that as her cue to step forward and stand by Cole's side. As she came into view, many of the demons gasped and started whispering amongst themselves.

"She's a Charmed One!"

"She's gonna kill us all!"

"She may be the Source's prisoner!"

"Silence!" Cole boomed again, and the whispers were gone. "Despite what many of you are undoubtedly thinking, Phoebe is no longer a Charmed One. However, that doesn't mean that the Charmed Ones are no more. There is another one, and if you expect to stay alive, I'd suggest staying away from them. If there is one thing the Charmed Ones aren't, it's careless. Stay away from them and they'll stay away from you. That being said, if anyone tries to attack Phoebe they will have to answer to me. And I don't think any of you are foolish enough to attempt that. Am I right?"

No one moved or spoke.

"Good. I'm glad we're all in agreement. There will be a coronation here tonight, and after that, you will officially have two new rulers. I trust that won't be too difficult to get used to."

Again no one spoke.

"You're all dismissed," Cole said, and with a wave of his hand, the demons were gone.

Phoebe turned to him. "See? That wasn't so hard."

Cole leaned down to kiss her. Phoebe returned it, and they stayed like that for a while until Cole pulled away, much to Phoebe's dismay.

"It's time to keep up my end of the bargain," he said, and with a wave of his hand, a key materialized out of thin air and hovered in front of Phoebe.

"What's this?" Phoebe asked curiously as she took the key and inspected it.

"This," Cole began, looking quite proud of himself, "is the key to our new apartment. Before all the mess with the Source and me turning evil again, I'd been scoping out apartments back on the surface. I finally found one, but I was waiting for the right time to tell you."

Phoebe was speechless. She just stared up at Cole with her mouth hanging open.

Cole continued. "I know you don't want to live the rest of your life down here, and you shouldn't have to. I can just as easily rule the Underworld from up there just as easily as I can down here. If you want I can take you there now."

Phoebe smiled and kissed him again. "Oh Cole. I don't know what to say. You sure the Source can even live up there? Aren't you more powerful if you're down there?"

Cole shrugged. "Maybe the old Source was, but he was careless. And besides that, I have you. Together we have more power than I think even the Charmed Ones have. Believe me, we'll be fine," he said.

"Then I say let's go see our new apartment!" Phoebe squealed in delight and hugged Cole close to her so that he could shimmer them up.

The first thing Phoebe noticed was how big it was. The living room was about the size of the living room in the manor and the conservatory combined. The walls were painted white and there was a grand piano in the far right corner. A soft white suede sofa sat in the center of the room, and there was a clear dining table that could seat roughly eight people by the large windows that overlooked the entire city.

"Cole. How could you have afforded this?" Phoebe asked in wonder as she inspected the table.

"Oh, I...persuaded the landlord. He eventually saw it my way."

Phoebe laughed, loving him even more. "You know, it feels like forever since I've seen the sun," she said, gazing up at the late afternoon sky.

Cole stood behind her, wrapping his arms around her torso and resting his head on her shoulders. "Now you can see a thousand sunrises since we no longer have to worry about demons stabbing us in the back."

"You were worried about them not too long ago," she reminded him, murmuring into his arms.

"That was before I realized that you were right. The demons understand what would happen to them if they betrayed us or tried to challenge us. Nothing's going to happen, Phoebe. I promise."

As Phoebe stood there, watching the sun in the sky that she hadn't seen in so long, she honestly believed him. Now that they were together and ruled the Underworld, she didn't think that anything could ever happen to them. They were utterly invincible.

The next day they would find out just how wrong they were.


	8. The Big Question

A/N: Wow, I can't tell you how happy all your reviews have made me! I'm glad you all are liking this story so far! For those of you reading _When You Left, _I'm sorry I haven't been updating recently, but I have writer's block, though it shouldn't be too long before I update again. Hopefully by the end of the week.

**funluvr151: **Thank you so much, I'm glad you like it. Your story is good too, sorry I haven't been reviewing. I'm reading though, and I'll get around to reviewing eventually, I promise!

**Bleu Feenix: **Thank you! Cole will definitely be taking care of Phoebe quite nicely, as you'll find out in this chapter.

**PhoebeColefan: **You'll find out the sisters' reactions very soon. And don't worry, Phoebe being evil won't change hers and Cole's love for each other.

**Mama Darkness: **I can tell you right now that they aren't going to be too happy when they find out. Lol. Thank you so much, I'm glad you're liking the story.

**lizardmomma: **Thanks a lot!

**Draco's-Loyal-Longing: **I'm glad you liked the chapter. Hope you like the next one!

**Shadow Cat17: **Thanks, I'm glad you like it. Hope you like this one!

* * *

_Chapter Eight_

"My liege, I'm so sorry to disturb you," came a deep voice from behind the bedroom door. Phoebe and Cole entangled themselves from each other and Cole sat up.

"What is it?" Cole asked gruffly as he pulled his black turtleneck sweater over his head and walked towards the closed bedroom door. Giving Phoebe the best apologetic smile that he could, he quietly opened it just enough so that the demon paying them a visit couldn't see into it.

Cole glared angrily at the demon as he walked towards him with his arms crossed. "You better have a good reason for interrupting us, Danill," he hissed.

The demon known as Danill cowered but stood his ground. "I...I have a message for you, sir. The innocent that the Harpie was supposed to go after? Well, she was saved. Rumor has it that it was the Charmed Ones."

Cole uncrossed his arms in shock. That he hadn't been prepared for. He had expected Prue and Piper to grieve over Phoebe and take some time off with the witch they found to replace her. The news of Phoebe's 'death' hadn't even been out for a week. While he hadn't expected the Charmed Ones to retire after Phoebe went down into the Underworld, he hadn't expected them to just jump into things either.

But he quickly covered up his surprise. He didn't want Danill to see him as weak, or that he couldn't handle the Charmed Ones. After all, aside from Phoebe and Leo, he was the one who knew them best.

"Then find another innocent and do it fast. The Charmed Ones undoubtedly have the other one in their protection," he mumbled to his second-in-command.

"But sir..." Danill protested, then took several cowering steps backward, afraid of the repercussions that Cole would bestow on him for arguing.

Cole merely rolled his eyes with annoyance. Whose bright idea was it to elect this coward of a demon to be his second-in-command? "What is it?"

"Well, some of us were...wondering...if your queen had tipped them off," the demon protested, seeming to gain some strength at the mention of the other demons so that he might not get punished alone for making such serious accusations.

Cole laughed, but it was anything amusing. "Phoebe is no more a force for good than I am. She is dead to the Charmed Ones, and that isn't likely to change anytime soon, so if you ever accuse her of acting against us, you need to remember that you are also challenging my leadership. And you'll do well to remember what happens to those who challenge me."

His eyes turned into the black pits, which made Danill shake even more. Once Cole's eyes returned to normal, the demon seemed to settle down a little bit, but the change was hardly noticeable.

"Yes, my liege. I'm sorry," he said, then kneeled in front of him as an acknowledgement of Cole's power.

Cole sighed. "Get up."

Danill did so, and Cole moved closer to him so that their noses were just millimeters apart from each other. "Get the harpies another innocent and do it fast. I want this taken care of and I want it done quietly. Understand?"

Danill nodded vigorously, obviously grateful that he wasn't getting vanquished for delivering the Source such bad news.

Cole didn't lose a beat. "Don't come to the apartment again. If anything pressing happens, you can wait for me down there. Do you think you can do that?"

"Yes, sir."

"You're dismissed," Cole said, and with a wave of his hand Danill was gone.

Just at that moment the bedroom door was thrown open and Phoebe appeared looking tired and irritated.

"What's taking so long, Cole? It is after one in the morning," she snapped, looking around the room for the cause of his delay.

"I'm sorry, baby. Just some news that couldn't wait, that's all," he said as he leaned down to kiss the top of her forehead.

"News? What kind of news?" Phoebe asked, her voice low. The argument was forgotten instantly.

"Nothing that you need to worry about," Cole said as he led her back to the bedroom. He could tell that Phoebe wasn't ready to let the subject drop, but she didn't say anything more. Cole was silently grateful for that. He wasn't ready to tell her that her sisters were back in action.

"It hasn't even been a day after the coronation, Phoebe. All this is going to take some time to get used to. That's all," he murmured into her ear as they both slid into bed.

"Just remember something, Cole. Being your queen doesn't mean I just stand by your side and look pretty. I'm in control of the Underworld too, so whatever news that someone needs to tell you, they can tell me as well," Phoebe said tiredly. With a wave of her hand the lights went out.

"Yes, I know. I promise I'll tell you first thing in the morning, okay?"

"...sure," Phoebe yawned into her black silk pillow.

A minute later they were both fast asleep.

* * *

The female demon exploded with a side-splitting scream that pierced Piper's ears. She didn't bring her hands up, though. She still held them out in front of her, afraid that the vanquish might not hold if she moved.

Beside her, Prue's astral self jumped back into her body and she watched the Harpy explode with more pleasure than was necessary. But Piper couldn't blame her. It felt good to go on a demon-killing spree in Phoebe's name. Like they were getting justice for Phoebe's death. Not the revenge would get their sister back; still it was nice to feel like they had the upper hand again.

She also had to admit that Paige's Seeing ability was quite useful. They didn't exactly work like Phoebe's premonitions had. Instead they worked like the Elders did. She didn't exactly see what was going to happen in the future, but could sense what was about to happen.

Paige had sensed that they were going to have to fend off a demon just now, and the sisters had been prepared. Though they hadn't known which demon they were up against, Paige told them that they would need the Power of Three and that their individual powers wouldn't hold her back for long.

In the end, another demon was gone and another innocent was safe. Piper gazed on the second story landing where they had told the young woman to hide until it was safe. The woman was watching with blotchy eyes, the result of crying in fear. Piper was glad to see that she was no longer crying, though she still seemed as scared as ever.

But that came as no surprise to Piper. Watching a fight between the Charmed Ones and their Demon-Of-The-Week could get a little explosive. Piper knew she would react the same way if their roles were reversed.

"Well, I think we handled that quite nicely," Prue grinned once the Harpy was gone.

"Yeah, thank god for my powers," Paige stated, looking proud of herself.

_Phoebe's powers, _Piper thought bitterly, but quickly brushed the stray thought aside. She lowered her hands and focused her attention on the innocent.

"Laura? You can come down now, the demon is gone," she assured her.

Laura walked down the stairs hesitantly, as though afraid that the demon wasn't really gone. "Are you sure?"

"Yes," Piper and Prue said in unison.

At this Laura grinned. "Thank you so much! If you hadn't been at that shoe store..."

Piper shrugged. "It's best not to dwell on the what-ifs. The important thing is that you're safe now."

"Can we give you a ride somewhere? Your home, perhaps?" Paige asked softly, going into social worker mode.

Laura shook her head. "No, that's okay. I think I just want to be out in the open for a while. I mean, just in case another demon is after me. They don't attack in broad daylight, do they?" she asked, wide eyed, as though that idea were just occurring to her.

Prue and Piper exchanged glances. "Most of them don't. I think you're safe," Prue answered.

Piper smiled at the woman and the sisters led her to the front door.

"I just don't know what to say. I feel like I should pay you or something at the very least," Laura put in as they reached the door.

"Oh no. We'd never take your money. Protecting the innocent is our job. The only thing we ask for in return is for you to keep our secret. No one can know what we do. If they did, we wouldn't be able to help more people," Piper explained, making eye contact with the long blonde-haired woman.

Laura nodded. "Of course. Your secret is safe with me," she promised, and with a final grateful smile, she walked down the stairs of the driveway in front of the house.

Piper closed the door after her and turned to her sisters. "Do you think we should keep an eye on her?"

Prue and Paige shook their heads at the same time. "I don't think so. Demons don't usually keep going after the same innocent. Chances are they'll just go after another one," Prue said.

Piper nodded then moved past them and headed towards the kitchen. Prue and Paige followed her at her heels.

As she began cleaning up the mess they had made from making the potion, Piper felt her sisters' concerned looks concentrating on her.

"What?" she asked without looking up. She started putting the potion ingredients back in their rightful places up in the cupboards.

"Don't you think we should scry for the next innocent instead of playing house?" Prue asked as though it should've been obvious.

"Maybe, but I don't really see the point of doing that just yet. I mean, the Harpy is dead. Don't you think that means others are safe from her?" Piper asked as she began wiping down the counter.

"But there are plenty of other demons out there. More than usual now that the Source is dead," Paige interjected.

They had found out that the Source had been killed by revolting demons the previous day, and that pretty much every demon in the Underworld was fighting to make themselves his replacement. And, predictably enough, they were all taking the same route and going after innocents.

Strangely, none of them were attacking the Charmed Ones. The Harpy had been the first demon they had come across since Shax.

While Piper and her sisters were confused as to why they were being left alone, Piper was the only one who wasn't second-guessing their luck. Prue and Paige were the ones who wanted to get to the bottom of it, and had sent Leo up to the Elders so that he could ask them why that was so.

"Yes, but we shouldn't be throwing ourselves at demons just for the sake of doing so. Why are you two so eager to risk your lives like that?" Piper asked, throwing her hands on the counter in frustration. Secretly, she was surprised that nothing blew up or short-circuited.

Prue stared at her as though she had just announced that she was moving out of the manor. "We're not just doing this for kicks, Piper. We're doing it because the innocents are in even more trouble than usual, and it's our job as protectors of the innocent to shield them from demonic activity. The demons are out in full force, which means that we need to be as well," she stated, trying to meet Piper's eyes.

But Piper stared at the counter, purposefully avoiding her older sister's judging stare.

"I just don't want to end up where Phoebe did, Prue. I would think that of all people, you would be able to understand that," she murmured, then gave up on the kitchen and walked into the conservatory, hoping that her sisters hadn't followed her.

Leo chose that moment to orb in, and his worried expression caused Piper to forget the discussion she had just had with them.

"What's wrong?" she asked immediately, hurrying over to him.

"You have no idea what I just found out from the Elders. You, Prue, and Paige all need to hear this. Where are they?" he asked anxiously, shifting his weight from one foot to the other.

"We're here," Paige said from behind as she and Prue entered the conservatory.

Both of them were staring at Leo in concern, and Piper matched their looks with one of her own.

"Well, I was speaking to the Elders when they received some news from their counterparts in the Underworld. Apparently the Source wasn't killed by demons like they thought. He was killed by...someone else," he began, and Piper could see the worry in his eyes. She couldn't remember him ever looking this concerned before. Except maybe when he was telling them that Phoebe was trapped in the Underworld.

"Who was he killed by?" Paige asked, speaking for all the sisters.

Leo took a deep breath and continued. "Well, from what the Elders understand, he was killed by a powerful force of good."

"Who?" Piper asked, thinking for a second that it might've been Phoebe, but that was impossible since she had been killed by the Source, not the other way around.

Leo shrugged, though it was apparent that he was thinking along the same lines as Piper. "I don't know who else from our side was down there except for Phoebe."

"And she was one of the Charmed Ones. She certainly had power enough to do some real damage," Piper continued, feeling her hopes rise despite her common sense.

"But that doesn't make sense for a number of reasons," Prue cut in. "First of all, while Phoebe was a Charmed One, she didn't exactly have the most firepower. She levitated and had premonitions. Those powers alone aren't enough to kill the Source. And second of all, she died. Remember?"

Piper shuddered at how callous Prue sounded, and wanted to call her on it when Leo spoke up. "Yes, it doesn't make sense, but we're forgetting that she was with Cole. We haven't heard that he is dead, and it's entirely possible that he vanquished the Source in revenge for killing Phoebe."

Prue scoffed. "I thought you said that he was killed by a force for _good. _Cole is about as evil as demons come."

"Yeah, but Prue, we have to remember that Cole was trying to be good. He wouldn't have turned evil with Phoebe there. But there is another reason why it seems like Cole did it," he said, and at this he sat down on one of the white wicker chairs.

"What?" the sisters asked together impatiently.

"The Elders think that the Source has been reborn somehow into another person. And they believe that that person is Cole."

* * *

The sun was slowly setting on the city, coloring the sky a bright shade of orange. Phoebe had made it a point of watching the sunsets, remembering how dark it had been in the Underworld. While she may be Queen of the Underworld, it didn't mean she had to live her life in darkness. She had discovered a new appreciation of the sun and the world it helped to support.

She had been alone in the apartment all day since Cole had business he had to attend to back in the Underworld. He had asked her if she wanted to come, honoring her wishes from the argument they'd had the previous night.

Phoebe turned him down, however, deciding that she wasn't quite ready to go back down. She wasn't afraid though; far from it. But at the same time, she loved her new apartment too much to abandon it for dreary caves and their depressing surroundings.

So she had waited all day for Cole to shimmer back. She could imagine being the Source required so much work. Weren't there demons to do their bidding? Cole had the power to dismiss them whenever he wanted. Unless there were really pressing matters at hand, she didn't understand what the hell was taking him so long.

She considered calling her sisters but immediately quashed the idea. They still thought she was dead, and if they knew she were alive they would try to save her and bring her back to her old life. And they'd probably try to vanquish Cole while they were at it. Both of those things she wouldn't tolerate. She wouldn't go back to living in her sisters' shadows, and she would never forgive them if they vanquished Cole.

It was better for them to believe that she was dead. Safer for them and better for her. They probably had no idea why demons weren't coming after them, and they never would. They had no idea how lucky they were that Cole was the Source and not some vindictive demon willing to go after them at every turn.

Phoebe had to admit that it was tempting to spy on them to find out who they had found to replace her with. It still made her blood boil remembering how easily they had shut her out of their lives. The fact that they thought she was dispensable just irritated her to no end. It certainly made it tempting to cross them off her Christmas list.

Phoebe pushed Prue and Piper out of her mind and walked into the kitchen to make herself a cup of herbal tea. As she was taking it into the living room, Cole appeared.

He was standing in front of the sofa and was glowing.

"What do you look so happy about?" she asked, setting her tea mug on the coffee table.

He grinned and took a small, maroon colored velvet box out of his pants pocket. "I had an epiphany when I was down there. I realized how weird it was that I hadn't yet asked you a very important question."

Phoebe's heart thumped madly, and she couldn't help but smile eagerly when she realized what he was getting at.

Cole dropped to one knee and held the box out to her. He opened it, revealing a gorgeous, sparking diamond rock.

"Phoebe Halliwell, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?"


	9. Speculation In Dark Times

A/N: Once again, I want to say thanks to all my reviewers, I can't tell you how much I appreciate them!

**Shadow Cat17: **Thanks, I'm glad you liked it! Hope you like the next chapter!

**Kalyra-Anne: **Thank you so much, I'm honored that you like this story so much! Hope you like this next chapter!

**PhoebeColefan: **Thanks, I try to describe as much as I can without making it boring. I'm glad you're still liking the story.

**lizardmomma: **Maybe, but despite his intentions, he loves Phoebe. I'm so glad you like it!

**Draco's-Loyal-Longing: **Glad you liked it!

**qtgirl: **Yes, I'm trying to write them as though evil is just a natural part of them. Though there will be parts where their evil side will truly come out. But not right now. Glad you liked it!

**Cole + Phoebe = Love Forever: **I really like your name, and I couldn't agree more. hehe. Anyway, the answer was a duh, but the actual ceremony won't be until next chapter. Glad you liked!

**Mama Darkness: **Yes, you'll find that they will get married in a Dark Way. It makes sense, plus I really liked that part in the show. Hopefully you'll like this chapter!

**BellaCullen666: **Lol, I think we all want to marry Cole. Phoebe is so lucky. I'm so honored that you like this story so much! Hope this chapter doesn't disappoint!

**Rahl's beloved Queen Kahlan: **Tell me about it. If only Cole actually existed. As you'll find out in this chapter, the sisters are closer to finding out about Phoebe and Cole! Maybe even by next chapter they'll find out. Glad you liked it, hope you like this next chapter!

**Angelspot: **I'm very honored that you were recommended to this story. And I'm so glad you weren't disappointed! Hope this next chapter doesn't disappoint you.

* * *

_Chapter Nine_

"Yes! Of course I'll marry you!" Phoebe announced excitedly. Then, to her surprise, Cole swept her off her feet, as he had done both figuratively and literally before, and began kissing her neck uncontrollably.

"You've just made me the happiest man alive," he murmured as he did so.

"Please, Cole. Could we keep the cliches to a minimum?" she asked as he set her down back in front of the sofa. He took her left hand in his and carefully slid the massive engagement ring on her ring finger and they both took a minute to take in both its beauty and its significance.

Phoebe couldn't help but notice just how right it felt wearing it. It was almost as if she had waited her entire life for this moment, and now that she had both the ring and Cole, she didn't want to let either go. Reluctantly, she tore her gaze away from her hand and back up to Cole.

He was still glowing, but now he had his business face on. He moved sat down on the sofa and took out a small notepad from his the inside pocket of his jacket as well as a pen. Phoebe sat beside him, her arm and head resting on his own and she looked up at him in adoration.

"What are you doing, baby?" she asked.

"Well, I don't know about you, but I don't want to stay engaged for very long. I want to call you my wife, and I want the rest of the Underworld to acknowledge us as a single, ruling power. We can't do that if we're engaged," Cole explained as he wrote down some illegible words on the notepad.

"What exactly are you planning?" Phoebe wondered, trying to decipher what Cole had written.

Cole stopped writing and looked over at her, looking as though he wasn't sure how she would take what he was about to tell her.

Phoebe waited for him to answer, and he opened his mouth to begin a second later. "Well, when demons and other evil beings get married, they have it done by a dark priest in a dark ceremony."

Phoebe frowned in confusion. "Is that like a traditional ceremony, only done in the Underworld?"

Cole laughed, and Phoebe got the impression that he was laughing at her naivety. "I guess. In fact, the only differences between a dark ceremony and the traditional is that a the dark ceremony needs to be performed at night in a cemetery by a dark priest. And I'd need to drink some of your blood."

Cole looked like he had been expecting her to cringe or insist that they go about it the traditional way. But Phoebe just took in what Cole had told her and began thinking it over.

She wasn't sure how long she was silent, but judging from Cole's hopeful expression, she imagined that it had been a couple of minutes or so. Finally she said, in what she hoped to be an indifferent tone, "That's okay with me."

Cole beamed. "Excellent. Getting married in a dark ceremony is really the only way we can be accepted as leaders of the Underworld. I may not be able to keep the Source's powers which, by default, would mean that you would be in danger and then we would be right back where we started. And not only that, but it's what I was raised around. And I want to share that with you."

Phoebe touched his cheek. "I understand. I want to get to know this side of you much better."

Cole touched the hand touching his cheek and held it tightly in his firm grip. "That means so much to me, Phoebe."

Then they began to plan the ceremony. Both were in agreement on one thing, though. It would be the darkest, most powerful wedding both good or evil would ever know.

* * *

As Paige sat in her pathetically small cubicle at South Bay Social Services, she felt her mind drifting back to the events of the last couple of days. Just a few days ago, being at work was the highlight of her day, and if she fought with a couple of abusive parents in order to protect an innocent child, then that would be like the icing on the cake.

Prue and Piper had changed all that. They had given her a family again, as well as something to live for.

Though, she wouldn't have called her old life dull and without purpose. And it wasn't like she hated her job. She loved it because she loved helping people. And she had plenty of friends who she liked to hang out with and party all night with. But, until she met her sisters and discovered her destiny as a Charmed One, she hadn't realized how mundane she'd felt beforehand.

Now, while being a social worker came with its own rewards, both officially and unofficially, she found that it didn't fill her with such importance as being a witch did. Even though she hated the circumstances, she loved being a witch, and fighting demons with her older half-sisters made her feel complete somehow.

If Paige was granted one wish, it would be to have been able to meet her other sister Phoebe. It was obvious that she had been quite important to Prue and Paige because Prue was on some sort of demon-killing vendetta, and Paige could sometimes hear Piper crying at night over her.

Yeah, sometimes Paige felt like she was nothing more than Phoebe's replacement. Sometimes that was how Prue and Piper treated her. And she knew it was true; they implied it all the time, it seemed like.

She didn't mind it because she knew that if Phoebe hadn't disappeared, they never would've sought her out. Well, they probably wouldn't have even known she existed. Their mother never told them that she'd given birth to Paige.

"Matthews. You still here?" her boss, Bob Cowan was waving a large file in front of her face.

Paige snapped out of her reverie and looked up at her boss, who was staring at her with a mixture of concern and impatience.

"Sorry, Mr. Cowan," she said, offering no apology for him finding her daydreaming.

Mr. Cowan rolled his eyes then dropped the file on her already piled up desk. "I need you to get familiar with this case. There's a placement hearing tomorrow at two. Can I trust you to be there?" he asked.

Paige nodded earnestly. "Yes, sir."

Mr. Cowan gave her one final look before walking away toward his office.

Paige then turned her attention on the file Mr. Cowan had left her and opened it. She had barely even glanced at the first page when the phone rang.

Sighing impatiently, she picked it up. "Paige Matthews, Social Services," she said automatically, barely paying attention to the caller. She began skimming the file when a familiar voice entered her ear.

"Paige, it's Piper. We need you at home."

Paige's face fell. "Again? I've already left work early twice this week," she complained, turning her full attention on Piper.

"I know, and I'm sorry about that, but we've got big problems. _Source _problems," she continued, lowering her voice. Paige got the impression that her older sister was afraid that some nosy person was eavesdropping at work. Paige knew this wasn't true since she had no secretary or assistant. Besides them, everyone else was too busy with their own phone calls to care about hers.

Paige groaned. "Great. Why can't dead demons stay dead?"

"Well, that's why we need your help. We need to vanquish him again and find a way to make it stick," Piper said.

Paige didn't say anything, knowing that Piper was right. Her Charmed duties must come first, even at the expense of her job.

"Okay, I'll be there soon," she said then hung up without saying goodbye. She stood up and grabbed her cotton jacket from the back of her office chair, then gave it a second thought and took Mr. Cowan's file, deciding that she could at least appear like she was trying to keep her job.

She popped into her boss's office and told him that something came up and that she had to leave. Of course he wasn't happy about it, but he didn't bother trying to make her stay since he knew it would be useless.

Paige left the social services building and walked the short distance to her green Volkswagen Bug. She placed the file and her purse on the passenger seat and started her car. Then she left the parking lot and drove the now familiar route to the manor.

When she got home, it was apparent that Prue and Piper knew something that she didn't. Each wore an expression that could only be described as grave, and when Paige walked in, it seemed that they only got graver.

"What's with the cheerful atmosphere, girl?" Paige asked sarcastically.

"Leo found out some more about the Source," Prue said, and that was all it took for Paige to drop the sarcasm.

"What did he find out?" Paige asked, worry filling her being despite not knowing what the news was.

"He's Up There, trying to find out more, but what we do know is that The Source is planning on getting married," Prue continued, and Paige suddenly understood why they looked so disturbed.

"Wait a minute. Didn't Leo say that the Source was Cole?" she asked.

Piper nodded. "That's what the Elders think, and it would make sense."

"And wasn't he Phoebe's boyfriend before she disappeared?" Paige continued, a bad feeling sinking deeply into her gut.

"Yes. She went down in the Underworld in an effort to protect us," Prue said. "Which is why this whole thing doesn't make any sense. I mean, I'll be the first to admit that I didn't like Cole and I didn't trust him. But I know that Cole loved Phoebe. He tried to be good for her. The fact that the Underworld is talking about the Source getting married doesn't make any sense because Phoebe is dead."

Suddenly a horrifying thought occurred to Paige. She glanced at her sisters to see if they were thinking the same thing. Prue and Piper stared at her in confusion.

"What?" Piper demanded.

"Well, I was just thinking. What if Phoebe didn't die like we thought?" Paige asked.

Prue winced and Piper looked at her feet. It was obvious that it was still a sore subject, but Paige continued anyway.

"No, think about it. If Phoebe was the love of Cole's life, then why is he so eager to get married? And in such a hurry? What if Phoebe's 'death' was just a way to get to the old Source and kill him so that Cole could become the next Source?" she asked, her words coming out faster and faster as she voiced her thoughts.

"It's possible, but highly unlikely. For one thing, Phoebe would never let us believe she was dead if she wasn't. And for another thing, she would never let Cole become the Source. She would never forgive him and she'd never tolerate it," Piper told her.

Prue nodded in agreement, but Paige sighed. "Not necessarily. Maybe Cole vanquishing the Source in order to become the Source was the only way to survive. Maybe it was the only way they could think of to get out of the Underworld," she said.

This time Prue shook her head. "Paige, if that were true, then why hasn't she come up yet? She'd never let us believe she was dead just to stay in the Underworld. She wouldn't do that to us."

"Unless being in the Underworld all this time has somehow corrupted her. Or maybe Cole is holding her hostage and forcing a marriage on her so that she can't come back up!" Paige exclaimed impatiently, not understanding why Prue and Piper weren't seeing eye to eye with her on this. After all, Phoebe was their younger full sister. Why wouldn't they do everything in their power to save her if they had the chance?

Piper seemed to be considering this, but quickly shook her head. "No, I don't think so. I might not have agreed with Cole's motives, but I know that he loved her. He would never do anything like that."

"_He _wouldn't, but maybe the Source would. It might be his way of breaking the Charmed Ones up for good so that he can't ever be vanquished by us," Prue argued, and Paige was glad that she was getting through to at least one of her sisters.

"But we've been reconstituted! Marrying Phoebe would do no good," Piper replied, looking angrier and angrier with every word.

"But Piper, think about it. It makes sense," Prue began, but Piper cut her off.   "No! I will not think about it! Phoebe is dead, okay? She's gone. And making all this speculation, thinking so _little _of her is doing a disservice to her memory! Why can't you just let her lie in peace? I think she deserves at least that much, Prue, even if you don't!" Piper exclaimed, then stormed up the stairs.

Paige stared at the stairway with guilt. She was about to go upstairs and apologize to Piper for throwing her arguments in her face, but Prue lay a hand on her shoulder, stopping her.

"No. She needs to be alone right now and think it through," she said and led her younger sister into the living room.

"So, do you agree with Piper?" Paige asked after a while, not wanting to upset another sister.

Prue sighed then met Paige's self-conscious expression. Then she gave her a small half-smile. "I think Piper has a point, but I don't believe that Cole would move on that quickly either. Something is going on, and until Leo returns with more information, I think we should wait."

Paige nodded, seeing the logic in Prue's reasoning, then raised her head and asked cautiously, not quite sure how Prue would react, "So you think Phoebe is still alive?"

"I don't really know what to believe. But I do think you have a point. My instincts have never let me down yet," she explained, and Paige had to admit that she felt a little better. It was nice to know that she wasn't completely insane with her beliefs.

"So, what happens if we're right and Phoebe is still alive? What happens if she marries the Source? Does she become the second Source or something?" Paige wondered, crossing her legs and relaxing her posture on the sofa.

Prue shrugged, obviously not looking as though she had really thought about it. "I don't know. But whatever it is, it can't be good. And if Phoebe is alive, even though she isn't technically a Charmed One anymore, she's still a powerful witch. Getting her on their side would give the demons a huge advantage."

Then she sighed, looking as though she realized how insensitive she just sounded. "And besides that, she's still our sister, and no matter how wrong or evil her choices have been, we need to protect her."

Paige smiled. Despite the potentially horrible reality that the youngest Halliwell had turned evil, she was honestly looking forward to meeting the sister she hadn't met yet.

* * *

"A d-dark wedding? My liege, that's excellent news," Danill stammered as he kneeled in front of Cole and Phoebe in their apartment.

Phoebe was standing beside Cole, her hand in his, showing off her wedding ring. When Danill had seen it, he had paled and instantly dropped to his knees as though the ring were a symbol of the Source's power.

It was obvious that he thought that the marriage of the Source and a former Charmed One yielded ultimate power, and the fact that it made demons cower before her just confirmed to her that she and Cole were on the right track to leading the Underworld.

"Yes, it is. And we need one arranged as quickly as possible. We can't afford to wait for very long. Do you know of a dark priest we can get on short notice?" Cole asked.

Danill nodded and stood up straighter. "I do, sir. I can get him for tonight, if you wish."

Phoebe smiled and Cole said, "Good. For once you're actually proving your worth. Get him to the Crest Hills Cemetery at midnight. There is a mausoleum at the end of it with a small chapel inside. Get him there and I'll take care of the rest."

"Yes, sir." Danill bowed his head once to Cole, then to Phoebe, then shimmered out.

Once she was sure that the demon was gone, Phoebe turned to Cole. "I can't believe that this is actually happening."

"Well, believe it, because in just four hours time, we will be husband and wife," Cole replied smoothly, touching her head with his own.

Phoebe took comfort in this loving gesture, wishing that she could somehow speed up time as she willed it. There had been a time not too long ago when the idea of marriage repulsed her. She'd never fantasized it as a kid, believing that two people could never be truly happy with each other for their whole lives. After all, her mother and father's marriage had failed, as well as her Gram's many marriages. She had come to believe that people weren't meant to be married.

Now though, as she gazed at the man she loved with all her might, and she realized that she was wrong. She and Cole were meant to be together, and she was ready to marry him.

Just looking into Cole's eyes told her that he was ready to marry her as well.

The time seemed to pass by so slowly that Phoebe became convinced that the universe were intentionally trying to make them suffer.

"Cole, can't you do anything about the time? Maybe speed it up a little," she whined from the dining table after a while. She and Cole had just finished dinner, and Cole had made the plates disappear with a wave of his hand once they were done.

"No, I'm afraid I can't. Although I could get that power for you if you like," he offered as a response.

Phoebe lit up at this. "Could you? Ever since my sisters took my powers from me, I've been feeling a little...incomplete somehow."

Cole mulled it over, then nodded. "Yes. I don't see why not. You need some firepower. I'll get you some powers first thing in the morning."

And just like that Phoebe was reminded for about the millionth time that day just how much she loved him.

Once the clock chimed midnight, Cole walked over to where Phoebe was sitting and held out his arm for her to take. She looked up at him and put her hand in his. Her heart was beating madly with anticipation, and it took all her self-control not to shimmer them to the cemetery herself.

"Are you ready?" he asked, his voice low but full of love.

Phoebe nodded. "Let's do this."


	10. What Was Meant To Be

A/N: Well, this is the chapter you all have been waiting for. The wedding and the sisters learn the truth.

Thanks to **kagomekikyo-arrow, PhoebeColefan, Cole + Phoebe = Love Forever, Shadow Cat17, Draco's-Loyal-Longing, BellaCullen666, Mama Darkness, thaatgirrl, Angelspot, funluvr151, **and** Rahl's beloved Queen Kahlan **for reviewing. I'm so sorry that I'm not replying individually, but I'm very crunched for time. But I wanted to get this chapter out so that you wouldn't have to wait another day. Let me know what you think!

* * *

_Chapter Ten_

Phoebe had been to the mausoleum at the Crest Hills Cemetery a dozen times back when she had first found out that Cole was a demon. While she wouldn't go far as to say that she had been scared, that ever-present concern that Cole would turn on her, or some other overly-confident demon, had always been at the back of her mind.

Now, however, she felt no worry or concern. Only excitement and anticipation.

As she and Cole entered the hidden chapel together, Phoebe felt as though she had been waiting for this moment her entire life.

A man dressed in a black priest's robe stood at the front of the chapel. Above him was a wreath of red roses. Moonlight seemed to stream into the place even though Phoebe knew this was impossible since they were underground. Still, the chapel was bathed in a soft light that contained a dark element to it.

Cole and Phoebe moved gracefully towards the priest in silence. They didn't have to say anything to know what each other was thinking. Both knew that this was where they were supposed to be.

"Bride and groom, I presume?" The priest was the first one to speak, and he smiled to each of them in turn, then bowed down as he was expected to do.

"Yes." Phoebe and Cole nodded to the priest to begin.

The tall, bearded man snapped a rose off the wreath and handed it to Cole.

"You must prick your bride's finger and taste her blood. That way shared blood will flow through each other and you will be united as one," the priest began.

Phoebe held out her right index finger, watching as Cole held the rose thorn side up in her direction.

He took her hand and gave her finger a small yet fairly deep stab. then he dropped the rose to the ground and brought Phoebe's finger to his mouth. Phoebe gasped as she felt his tongue on her skin. But a second later he released her hand, but not before kissing it smoothly.

Once that was finished the priest tore off two new roses and handed one to both Phoebe and Cole.

They took that as their cue to pin it to each other's attire. Phoebe pinned hers to Cole's black suit jacket, and Cole put his on Phoebe's strapless black chiffon gown.

This was done in silence, but the atmosphere was not awkward or tense. It was light but held love and power. All in the room were aware of it, and they basked in it, wanting this moment to last forever.

"Okay," the priest muttered once the roses were on the bride and gloom, "now if you will face each other."

Cole and Phoebe did as he said and met each other's eyes. Phoebe smiled as she saw Cole's loving stare but didn't turn away as many brides did. She didn't even blush. She didn't have to act surprised at her soon-to-be husband's love for her. That was something she took pride in.

The priest turned to Cole. "You may take out the ring."

Cole took dug in his inside jacket pocket and took out a new velvet ring box. He glanced at Phoebe, wanting to see her reaction at the even bigger wedding bands he had made for her.

Phoebe brought her hands to her mouth in shock, not quite expecting to see anything so big and beautiful meant to be hers. Being the Queen of the Underworld may have been a new role, but she had thought that being so far away from the real world would mean that they were poor as far as human standards were concerned. Despite being evil, she wasn't sure if she wanted to hear how the ring had come into Cole's possession.

"Phoebe," Cole began, taking her left hand this time, "I have loved you since the first time I lay eyes on you. I knew I wanted to share a life with you. I have never loved anyone before, and I had been convinced that I was destined to live my life as Belthazor; it wasn't anything to be ashamed of, but I didn't have any idea how much I was lacking until I met you. I can't think of anyone else I'd rather share my life with, and I'm so glad that it's you," he said as he placed the ring and the band on her ring finger.

Phoebe teared up at hearing his vows. She never thought that Cole was capable of saying such beautiful words. She looked at the priest, waiting for him to give her permission to say her vows.

Once the priest turned to her, Phoebe took a deep breath and made eye contact with Cole, wanting to speak to him directly as she said her vows.

"Cole, I love you. You make me feel complete. Before I met you I had almost given up on love. None of my previous relationships worked out. And being a Charmed One was great, it gave me a lot of opportunity to concentrate on other things. But when I met you...it was like love had given me a second chance. You are the reason I'm standing here today. You saved my life. I don't think I can ever repay you for that. But the one thing I'm sure of is that we were meant to be together. And I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with you."

Phoebe watched as Cole smiled and held squeezed her hand as a sign that he agreed whole-heartedly with her.

The priest continued with his ceremony, saying something about the most powerful magic the world has ever known, joined rulers of the underworld, and the ultimate love. Phoebe guessed that this union was bringing them even more power than they had originally anticipated, but she wasn't thinking about that.

She wanted to get started on their own personal future.

The priest didn't say anything about that, but she hadn't really expected him to. It wasn't like he could predict the future. He was just bringing them together as one, and that was the beginning of everything.

"You may now kiss the bride," the priest finished, and Phoebe snapped back to life.

"I love you," Cole murmured as he leaned down to meet Phoebe's lips with his.

As soon as their lips met, Phoebe felt a rush of heat pass through her body. She wasn't sure if that was the power or just her incredible love for him. Either way, she knew that they were starting a life that most beings, good or evil, only dreamt about.

* * *

When Piper left her room the following morning, she noticed that the house was eerily quiet. She hadn't gone to P3 last night, feeling the need to be alone after Paige had told them her ridiculous theory.

Prue had tried to calm her down, saying that Paige was new to this and that she was only speculating as to how this whole thing works. To a degree Piper could understand that. She really could. But, as she intended to tell Paige if she decided to continue their conversation from the previous night, Paige didn't know Phoebe the way Prue and Piper did. Everything that Paige had said about Phoebe was way out of character for her. She would never leave her sisters hanging like that.

Every time her mind tried to reason with her, to give Paige a break, she would fervently think of something else.

She refused to think so little of Phoebe. The mere thought of Phoebe turning evil and letting her sisters believe she was dead brought her blood to a boil. If, for some unthinkable reason, that was true, then Piper didn't think she could ever forgive Phoebe. Especially after everything they had been through.

No, she wouldn't think about this anymore. She was going to go to the kitchen and whip up a spanish omelette.

Once she got to the kitchen she got out the eggs, peppers and onion, mixed cheese, and the other ingredients she would need. She knew for a fact that Prue was at work, and Paige was too. She hoped Paige wouldn't come to the manor today unless she was needed. She silently prayed that wasn't the case too. Not because she didn't want to see Paige; that had nothing to do with it. But she'd had it up to her eyes with demonic problems, and she wanted a day off.

But, Piper reasoned, that rarely happened, so she figured that she could at least enjoy what few moments she had to herself.

Cooking had always been a passion of hers. She never felt so comfortable as when she was cooking up some really complicated dish with ease. She always took pride in her cooking, and even when she was only cooking for herself, like now, she made sure she took great care.

Making the omelette hardly took any time once you knew what you were doing. Spanish omelettes had been one of Gram's specialties. They had always been a rare treat when the sisters were young, but only Piper had expressed any interest in learning how to make it herself. Prue was always too busy, and Phoebe just hadn't cared.

She slid the omelette onto a plate, turned the burner off, and sat down at the kitchen table, savoring each bite.

Once she was done she washed her plate then put it back in the cupboard it came from. When that was finished she went into the living room and grabbed the phone, deciding she might as well confirm some of the bands she had booked for P3 next month.

She returned a call that her assistant manager gave the previous night, dealing with figures and expenses the club had, and took a great sigh of relief when that was taken care of.

She decided to take advantage of her rare time alone in the house and turned the TV on.

Right when she had gotten comfortable on the couch, Leo orbed in.

Piper jumped when her husband materialized in front of her. "Leo!"

"Sorry," Leo muttered and sat down beside her on the sofa.

"So, did you find out anything new?" Piper asked, turning her attention on the TV.

"Not really. I just confirmed that there is a new Source out there. But as to who it is, the Elders are clueless," Leo replied.

"Gee, what a shock," Piper said sarcastically, flipping through the channels.

"Well, there is one way to find out." Leo shifted to his other side, and Piper could see that he felt uncomfortable about bringing up whatever he was about to say.

"How?"

Leo hesitated and paused a moment before answering. "You guys could summon a demon and torture him for information on the Source. That way we would at least know what we're up against."

Piper stared at him and burst out laughing. "Summon a demon here intentionally? Please, Leo. We may be desperate, but we aren't _that _desperate!" She glanced at Leo through her giggles, and when she saw that he wasn't laughing her, she stopped. "Wait, are we?"

Leo shrugged helplessly, and Piper could see that this hadn't been his idea. "The Elders think it's the best way to find out who this guy is so that we can take him out before any demons vying for his position do."

"There are so many problems with that plan, I don't even know where to start," Piper muttered and turned the TV off. She wanted to sulk.

"I know. But you have to admit that it is our only option, short of going down there and finding out for ourselves," Leo replied.

Piper shook her head. Prue and maybe even Paige would be up for the latter option, but they had a better shot of surviving in the manor where they had a prayer of defending themselves.

"Yeah, I know. I'll prepare the crystals. Once Prue gets home we can summon this demon and find out what he knows," she said as she got up from the sofa and made for the stairs.

Leo followed suit. "Wait, don't you need Paige too?"

Piper shook her head. "We don't need the Power of Three to summon a demon. Prue and I can do his ourselves."

"Yeah, but you might need the Power of Three to vanquish him," Leo argued.

Piper sighed. "Not necessarily. I'll just blow him up."

She could tell that Leo wasn't ready to leave it at that, but she headed upstairs before he could argue some more with her. He might not have much faith in her new power, but she did, and quite frankly, she felt like blowing off some steam.

* * *

When Prue got home she called for Piper. She was surprised that she had made it through the day without a frantic call from her younger sister telling her to come home immediately. She was even more surprised to find the house so quiet. Even before they found out they were witches, she couldn't remember the manor ever being this quiet.

"Piper? You home?" Prue called again.

Alarmed that something may be wrong, she dropped everything by the front door and ran upstairs, afraid that a demon had attacked after all and wounded Piper too much for her to call for help.

She flung the attic door open with a fling of her wrist, but paused when she saw Piper standing in the center, the Book of Shadows open in front of her, and the crystals in a circle around them.

"Uh, Piper? What's going on?" she asked, confused.

Piper turned around and motioned for Prue to join her by the book. "We're going to summon a demon, preferably an upper-level one and find out what it knows about the new Source."

"We are?" Prue repeated, a little stunned by Piper's go-get-em attitude.

Piper nodded. "This wasn't my idea, though, so if this plan goes to hell, blame the Elders," she said, seeming to read Prue's thoughts.

"Well, it beats sitting around here waiting to get attacked. What do we do?" she asked, leaning over Piper to get a better look at the book.

"This demon is called Danill. Apparently he has been advisor to the last three Sources. There aren't any vanquishing spells here, but I figure I can use my exploding power, and if worse comes to worse, you can kick a little ass while I call for Paige. Got it?" Piper explained, searching Prue's eyes for an answer.

Prue nodded. "I like it. Let's do it."

They said the summoning spell the book had for the demon known as Danill, and a minute later a harsh wind entered the manor, and the sisters fought to stand still as a tall, well-dressed demon entered the circle that the crystals surrounded.

Piper managed to put the last crystal into place and the wind was gone.

Prue watched as the demon looked around in confusion. When he saw the sisters watching him, he tried to take a step towards them, but was shocked in place.

"Ahh! What am I doing here?" he snarled, glaring at them.

Prue stifled an amused laugh. _There's nothing funnier than a trapped demon, _she thought to herself.

"We summoned you," Piper replied simply.

"Let me go right now, or the Source will come after me. Then you both will be dead!" Danill hissed as he got to his feet, careful to avoid the outer limits of the circle he was trapped inside.

"Well, that's why we summoned you. You're going to tell us who the new Source is, or you're dead," Prue explained, holding up her hands as a warning that she meant what she said.

Danill smirked. "I'm dead either way, and I'd much rather die at the hands of mere witches than the Source."

Prue frowned. Did this demon not know who they were? "We're anything but 'mere witches.' We're the Charmed Ones, and we have the power to make you suffer. Now, either tell us what you know, or get ready to feel a whole lot of pain."

At this the demon paled. "The...The Charmed Ones?" he asked, and Prue could detect a hint of fear in his demeanor.

Piper nodded. "That's right. Now start talking."

But the demon's fear was now etched on his face, and he kept glancing at them as if afraid he might tell them something he didn't want to say. "I...can't! He'll kill me!"

"Who? The Source? Just tell us who he is, and then we can make it relatively painless, if you'd prefer," Piper said, a little softer.

Prue was getting fed up with this fast. "We're not playing games, okay? Just answer one question. Is the Source's name Cole?"

Danill gulped and hesitated. When Prue held up her hands again, he nodded anxiously. "Yes, okay? Yes! His human name is Cole, but he is also known as Belthazor."

But at this, the demon seemed to gain some new courage, and he smirked at them. "He got married last night, and now his power if nearly triple what any other Source's has been before him. He and his queen are the most powerful demons in the Underworld, and I'm pretty sure that their power outweighs yours!"

Prue felt uneasiness settle into the pit of her stomach. One look at Piper and Prue saw that her sister was feeling the same thing. "And who is his queen?" Prue asked, afraid that she already knew the answer.

Danill laughed again. "As if you don't already know!"

"Actually we don't, so why don't you cut the crap and just tell us?" Piper demanded bitterly.

The demon smirked. "Hmm, I haven't known her all that long, but I believe she goes by the name of...Phoebe."


	11. Gathering Of The Storm

A/N: Thank you to all who reviewed!

**Shadow Cat 17: **Phoebe is going to stay evil quite a long time. Maybe till the end, though I'm not really sure yet. Glad you like it.

**thaatgirrl: **Thank you so much, I hope you like the next chapter!

**Rahl's beloved Queen Kahlan: **Thanks, I didn't think it was that funny until I re-read it.

Glad you like it!

**Cole + Phoebe = Love Forever: **Thank you! I figured that was the best way to let them know about Phoebe and keep the story moving forward. Hope you like this chapter.

**lizardmomma: **Thank you. Next chapter will delve into more of the sisters' reactions. This chapter is mainly Cole/Phoebe centric. Hope you like the next chapter!

**BellaCullen666: **Cole and Phoebe will get some time to themselves, as you'll find out in this chapter. As for kids, I don't know I haven't decided yet. It would sure be a plot twist! Hope you like this next chapter!

**Draco's-Loyal-Longing: **Thanks! Reactions are more next chapter, though you'll get a hint in this one. Anyway, hope you like this chapter!

**funluvr151: **Thank you! I'm so glad you're liking this. Hope you like this chapter!

**Mama Darkness: **Phoebe will get her powers very soon! Possibly even next chapter...*wink* Lol. Anyway, I'm glad you like it, and hope you like this next chapter!

* * *

_Chapter Eleven_

A day later Cole and Phoebe were laying together on a towel designed for two, lounging in the sun and basking in each other's presence. At first Cole had been hesitant about going away on a honeymoon with Phoebe. Not because he didn't want to be alone with her; quite the opposite. But business in the Underworld was growing, and the never-ending battle between good and evil was only gaining momentum.

But Phoebe had convinced him that they were fine to go away. After all, upper-level demons had the ability to sense the Source's power so that they were reminded of it at all times. Should they be needed, they would be found.

So, in the end, Cole had taken them to a beach resort in Cancun. It wasn't exactly the Source's first choice in a romantic getaway, but no Source before him had taken a queen, and it was what Phoebe wanted. So that's where they went.

He had to admit, after seeing his new wife in her skimpy bikini showing off her flawless figure, this had been a good idea after all. They both deserved some time in the sun after being cooped up in the Underworld for so long. The heat meeting his skin was a welcome change to the dank cold of the endless caves down below.

Cole shifted his position so that he could get a better look at Phoebe. She was lying face down on the towel, the top of her bikini off so that her back was exposed to the sun's rays. Her sunglasses were on, but Cole knew that her eyes were closed. He hadn't seen her this relaxed in a long time.

His own tropical designed shirt was off so that he wouldn't get overheated. And if he happened to gain a tan, that was an added bonus. Judging from the intensity of the rays and the three hours they had been out on the beach, he would say that a tan was a guarantee.

"Cole?" Phoebe murmured, and Cole turned his attention to his wife.

"Yes?" he asked.

"Thank you for bringing me here. I know you didn't think it was a good idea to get away, but..."

Cole cut her off. "No, no. You were right, this was a good idea. You needed to get away from everything. And I'm sure I did, too."

Cole watched as she formed a small smile. "Are you kidding me? You were _dying _to get away from all that responsibility. It's good to get away from all that every now and then. It keeps us sane."

"Well, you're right about that. Plus," he added, sinking down to wrap his arms around Phoebe's bare stomach, "you're sexy when you're happy."

Phoebe moaned as Cole brushed his lips on her neck, and began working his way down. She allowed his hands to explore her body, and was tempted to turn around so that they weren't in such an awkward position, but Cole was too busy kissing her body. Plus, Cole knew that Phoebe wouldn't appreciate being exposed to the entire beach. Not that there were many people there.

Cole didn't know how much time had passed, nor did he care. He had never felt as content with his life as he did at that moment. Being with Phoebe just felt so right. And being on the beach in Cancun with her, all responsibilities gone, made him want to stay here with her forever.

"Hey, get a room!" A passer-by exclaimed as he walked by Cole and Phoebe all but making love.

Cole stopped and sat up, looking at the man who dared talk to him like he was nothing.

Phoebe sat up too, covering her breasts with her bikini top. She was staring at him as well, and Cole knew that she was thinking the same thing as he was.

Cole felt his eyes turn black again, and he watched as the man screamed as flames engulfed him. However, it didn't last long before the man was gone, and no one turned a head to what had just happened.

It was like the man hadn't been there at all.

"No one talks to my girl like that," Cole muttered, kissing Phoebe's cheek as he did so.

Phoebe smirked. "You mean, no one talks to _us _like that." She slid into his lap and returned Cole's kiss with one of her own, and this time it was Cole who was lying on the towel as Phoebe kissed his neck and moved on to his mouth.

Cole returned it passionately, and soon they were all over each other, earning shocked and somewhat disgusted looks from the people around them. But no one was brave enough to stop them, which was lucky.

A small part of his mind was wondering how all those people hadn't noticed that passer-by disappear, but he didn't really care. All he cared about was Phoebe.

It felt like they had been like this forever, but soon the sound of a man clearing his throat interrupted them. Once again, Cole reluctantly pulled away, glaring at who dared interrupt them.

He saw that it was a demon.

Cole stood up. "What?" he asked.

"Sorry to intrude, my liege, but we've got a problem," the demon said, bowing slightly in addition to the apology.

"What kind of problem?" Cole snapped.

The demon leaned in closer so that no one could overhear them. "The kind we shouldn't talk about out in the open like this."

Cole sighed, knowing whatever this nameless demon had come to tell him couldn't wait. He turned to Phoebe. "Sorry, honey. This will only take a minute."

He and the demon started towards the resort at the top of the beach, but Phoebe stood up. "Wait. I'm coming with you."

"Phoebe, that's okay. You don't have to, but..."

"No, Cole. I'm your queen, and whatever he has to tell you he can tell me," Phoebe interrupted, and Cole knew better than to argue.

Cole took the dark blue towel and folded it as Phoebe somehow managed to clasp the bikini top back in place without showing anything, and together the demon, Cole, and Phoebe left the beach and went to the resort.

They went up to the top level and opened the last door on the right. Once Cole had locked the door behind him, he turned to the demon, who was standing in front of the closet with his arms behind his back.

"I'm sorry, sir, but this could not wait. Danill has gone missing, and many believe that it is the work of the Charmed Ones," the demon began.

Cole felt Phoebe stiffen beside him on their bed, but he temporarily ignored this as the news sunk in.

"That explains why you are the one telling me this and not him. Danill would never willingly go to them since he knows of the consequences of doing that. This must mean that they summoned him," he said, more to himself than to the demon or Phoebe.

"Why would they do that?" the demon asked, sounding as though he didn't believe Cole's theory.

"To get information. Why else?" Phoebe put in, her voice low.

"Information? On what?" the demon scoffed.

"On _us, _you idiot!" Phoebe exclaimed with venom in her voice.

The demon looked scared, afraid that they might vanquish him for arguing with them. Though Cole had to admit it was tempting, he knew he couldn't. They needed him.

"Okay, everyone just calm down."

"Cole, don't tell me to calm down! My sisters just summoned the one demon who knows the most about us! And if Danill talks, they'll know I'm alive. They'll try to come after us, and they'll ruin everything," Phoebe snapped.

Cole nodded. "Maybe, but Danill won't give in that easily."

"If I know my sisters, and I like to think that I do, they won't take no for an answer, and they'll use any means necessary to get what they want out of him. He might've already cracked for all we know. You need to get rid of him now before he tells them anything else!" Phoebe argued, sounding both fearful and angry.

Cole had never seen her like this before. It was like she would do anything to get away from her sisters. He could understand it, but it wasn't Phoebe. She loved her older sisters, and Cole knew that being Queen of the Underworld wouldn't change that. It was part of the reason he had ordered all other demons, warlocks, and other evil beings to stay away from them. He knew that Phoebe would be devastated if anything ever happened to them.

But still, he hadn't seen Phoebe so anxious to stay away from them.

"She's right, sir. Going up against the Charmed Ones is suicide, even you. You haven't been the Source long enough-"

"I've been the Source long enough!" Cole hissed, turning on this demon who dared tell him what to do.

The demon gulped and looked at the ground in haste. "I'm sorry, sir. I meant no disrespect. I only mean to warn you against a potential vanquish. The Charmed Ones won't give up until they get what they came for. Or unless they're dead."

"No," Phoebe and Cole said at the same time, and the demon quickly looked to his feet again.

"Well, then you might want to get rid of Danill before he talks," the demon pointed out.

Cole nodded, and was about to send his power to his former trusted advisor when Phoebe stopped him.

"Wait, Cole. Before you do, summon Danill here."

Cole looked at her in confusion. "Why?"

Phoebe sighed before answering. "Because I want to know who the witch is who replaced me."

* * *

"That can't be a coincidence," Prue muttered as she followed Piper out of the attic. Piper was retreating quite quickly to her room, and Prue knew that it would take a miracle to get her to think clearly.

Piper spun on her heel and turned to face Prue, angry tears in her eyes. "Prue, you know as well as I do that this isn't a coincidence. Phoebe...she's betrayed us."

And with that Prue felt rather than saw Piper's door slam shut in her face.

She knew that it would be pointless to try and reason with Piper right now, so she went back up to the attic to try and squeeze more information out of their captive demon. But, to her horror, when she got there she found Danill smirking and waving his hand at her, as if saying goodbye.

"What the...?"

And the next thing she knew, Danill was gone.

She stared at their empty crystal cage in shock, her mouth hanging open. They hadn't used the cage very much, but Prue knew that once it contained somebody, that somebody couldn't get out.

So how did this one manage to escape?

"Leo!" Prue called, deciding not to tell Piper about their new problem just yet.

A second later Leo orbed in, looking at the oldest Charmed One in anticipation. "Yes?"

Prue pointed to the cage her her index finger, still too shocked to speak. Somehow she managed to get out, "Our demon escaped."

"What?!" Leo exclaimed, staring at her as he moved over to the crystals. He moved one aside and stepped inside, as if trying to find a trap door or something. "How could you let this happen?"

"I did not _let _this happen, Leo! Piper and I left the attic for just a minute, and when I came back up...I don't know. It was like he shimmered out or something!" she exclaimed, anger brushing through her body at the audacity of their whitelighter accusing her of something beyond her control.

Leo sighed. "I know, Prue. But still, no one could've gotten out of that cage on their own. I'd be willing to bet that some outside force summoned him out."

Prue returned Leo's sigh with one of her own as she muttered, "Phoebe."

"Phoebe?" Leo asked, one eyebrow raised.

"Yeah. We were getting Danill--the demon--to tell us who the Source was, and he confirmed that it is Cole. But then I decided to ask him who it was that he was planning on marrying...and he said that it was Phoebe," Prue explained, the painful information of their sister still being alive coming back and hitting Prue hard in the stomach.

"Wait a minute. Phoebe's alive?" Leo asked, obviously still trying to come to terms with it.

Prue nodded. "According to Danill. And besides that, it makes sense. Who else would Cole be marrying so quickly?"

Leo didn't say anything. Prue was glad that he was taking it better than his wife was. But she decided not to tell him that just yet. They needed to come up with a plan for getting Phoebe out of the Underworld.

"We need to figure out a way to get her out of there," Prue stated obviously. To her surprise, however, Leo was shaking his head.   "No. We can't just storm down there and drag her out. Who knows what powers she has now being married to the Source?"

Prue stared at him incredulously. "But Leo, we can't just leave her down there! Who knows what kind of danger she's in? What if Cole has her brainwashed somehow? Or torturing her?"

Leo looked helpless. "We don't know that he is. For all we know, Phoebe married him of her own free will."

"No. I know my sister, and I know that no matter how much she loves Cole, she would never put up with him turning evil again! She would never let us think that she's dead of her own free will! She might be trying to get back to us and we would never know because we're too _scared _go down there and rescue her!" she snapped. She had never spoken to Leo like this before, and she felt guilty about it. But he was wrong.

"I know how you feel. She's your sister, and I can respect you wanting to rescue her. But going down there without a plan, without being prepared, will not do her or yourself any good," Leo said.

Prue sighed, anger rising in her with every word. "Then what do you suggest I do? Wait until she's dead?"

"No! You need to go to Piper and Paige, and together you need to figure out the best way to approach this."

Prue smiled bitterly and crossed her arms. "You know, all of this could've been avoided if we had just summoned her back here when this whole mess started. If we had done that, Phoebe would still be a Charmed One, she wouldn't be married to the Source of all Evil, and we wouldn't be worrying about evil siblings with the possibility of being killed by them!"

"Yeah, and you also wouldn't have found Paige or done all the good that you're still meant to do with her. I know this isn't what you want to hear, but everything happens for a reason. Maybe all of this was supposed to happen. Either way, we need to wait for more information before we go diving in head first," Leo argued.

"You're right, Leo. I didn't want to hear that. And I'm sorry you feel that way."

And with that, Prue turned and left Leo standing alone in the attic.

* * *

Danill appeared in front of Phoebe and Cole back in the honeymoon suite of the little resort in Cancun. He looked proud of himself, but when he saw where he was, the smirk vanished from his face.

"Thank you, sir. I thought I'd never get out of there," he said, moving to stand next to Maseras, the other demon.

"We need to know what you told the Charmed Ones," Cole said, ignoring Danill's words.

"And who the third witch is," Phoebe added pointedly.

Danill looked scared, and Phoebe could already tell that he told them about her. But she waited, wanting to hear him say it himself.

When he hesitated, Cole thundered, "Tell us, or you're dead!"

"I had no choice. They were going to kill me if I didn't tell them!"

"And what makes you think that I won't kill you for telling them?" Cole countered.

Danill threw himself at Cole's feet. "Please, sir. I had no choice! The Charmed Ones were going to find out anyway! What did you expect me to do?"

"I expect you not to betray me! Especially to our biggest enemies! All you had to do was keep your mouth shut, and we wouldn't be in this mess!" Cole exploded, causing Phoebe to take a couple steps away from him.

With a wave of Cole's hand Danill was gone. Phoebe wasn't sure whether or not he was actually vanquished or not, but she supposed it didn't matter.

"Cole, he didn't tell us who the third Charmed Ones is," Phoebe pointed out.

Cole sighed, taking a couple of calming breaths before he replied. "We'll be finding out soon enough. Now that Danill betrayed us, it'll only be a matter of time before they come after us."

He turned to the demon he now knew as Maseras, who was waiting patiently by the door. "Congratulations. You've just been promoted. Go down to the Underworld and gather all of your best demons."

Maseras nodded in understanding then shimmered out of the room.

Cole turned around to face Phoebe, who was staring at him, her eyes flooded with disappointment.

"Don't worry, baby. We'll get back to our honeymoon just as soon as this mess is cleaned up. I promise," he said, touching her shoulders.

Phoebe shrugged. "I guess it doesn't really matter what I say, does it?"

"Phoebe, I need you. Now more than ever. I could understand it if you didn't want to get directly involved, but we've got work to do."

He held out his hand to her, waiting for her to take it.

Phoebe looked at it, wanting more than ever to shake her head and refuse and demand that they stay in Cancun and finish their honeymoon. But she knew that the matters they had were more pressing. Plus Cole would be so disappointed if he thought she wasn't with him all the way.

And she was definitely on his side. There was no questioning that.

So she decided to hold him on his promise, and took his hand, allowing him to shimmer her back into the Underworld.


	12. The Unexpected Visitor

A/N: Thanks to **Kalyra-Anne, Shadow Cat17, CoTu, nadr4, PhoebeColefan, Cole + Phoebe = Love Forever, Angelspot, BellaCullen666, Rahl's beloved Queen Kahlan, lizardmomma, Draco's-Loyal-Longing, Mama Darkness, Sirius's Sister, thaatgirrl, and Spaneva **for reviewing. I seriously appreciate the feedback I am getting, and that most of you are liking the story. Sorry I'm not replying individually again, but it's late and I have to get up early tomorrow. But here's the chapter! I didn't want to leave you guys hanging too long.

* * *

_Chapter Twelve_

The now all too familiar darkness of the Underworld beckoned Phoebe forth almost immediately. She was surprised by how _right _it felt. How complete it made her feel.

She didn't express this strange feeling to Cole as they strutted importantly through the Underworld. He had much more important issues on his mind, and Phoebe tried to focus her attention on them as well. Especially since they were mainly centered around the Charmed Ones.

Phoebe had to admit that she was curious to know how they were getting along without her. The hurt she felt at being replaced, though still there, was no longer overpowering her as it had at one time. Now curiosity had long since usurped its place, and it was all she could do to keep from shimmering to the manor and seeing the truth for herself.

Of course she couldn't, since it would ruin whatever plans Cole had in store for them. She knew he was wondering how far Phoebe was willing to let him go. And she had thought about this particular question for some time now.

If the time came, would she really let her sisters die?

She didn't like to think about it too much, so she pushed the thought as far back in her mind as possible and focused instead on the business at hand.

Together, Phoebe and Cole entered the cave they had held their first meeting in. Maseras was waiting for them, and behind him were three other demons who were looking quite anxious to prove their worth to the Source. Phoebe eyed them and tried to figure out just how _much _they were willing to put on the line to do just that.

"Are these your demons?" Cole asked as he halted to a stop in front of his new advisor.

The dark demon nodded once but didn't say anything. There was no need to. Cole would see for himself if they could be trusted, and Phoebe waited while he stalked over to them. She could see that they were sweating bullets as her husband analyzed them, looking each of them over in turn.

The first one was rather short and was going bald. If he were human, Phoebe would guess him in his early fifties. He was the one who looked the most frightened, and even though he was trying desperately to hide it, Phoebe could see him trembling where he stood.

She inwardly rolled her eyes. Was Maseras honestly trying to tell him that this demon was to be trusted?

If Cole was thinking along these lines he didn't show it. He merely turned to the next demon. He was tall, much younger looking. Phoebe would've thought he was in his mid-twenties if she didn't know better. He had long black hair tied back in a low ponytail and was dressed like a darklighter. She wasn't sure whether he was or not, and she didn't care to be honest. She just wanted to know what Cole was going to do with him.

The third demon stood tall and brave, but Phoebe could detect a small glint of fear in his eye when Cole turned to him. He was worried that Cole would find him unworthy, she could see. It was hard to give him an age since so much of him didn't make sense. He had the face of a man in his forties, but the body of a much younger man. His hands were held behind his back, and regarded Cole with admiration, respect, and fear. Out of all of them, Phoebe suspected that Cole trusted him the most.

Cole came back to stand next to Phoebe and looked at Maseras's chosen demons. "It's clear to me where your loyalties lie. And your allegiance will be most rewarded. But, before anything else can happen, you must all prove your worth."

They all paled, wondering what they could possibly do to please the Source. Phoebe figured that Cole had some witches or other innocents in mind for them to kill, but before she knew it, Cole held out both is hands.

They glowed bright red, and Phoebe watched in fascination as the demons' profiles were outlined in a dark black, and suddenly the blackness was pulled out of them and floated patiently in front of Cole.

Cole directed his hands around and pointed them at Phoebe. Phoebe blinked in surprise as Cole let the balls of energy enter Phoebe through her chest. Though she couldn't see it, she knew that she had glowed black for a second. When it was gone, she immediately felt...different. Powerful.

She looked up at Cole, who was smiling brightly at her.

"Surprise!" he exclaimed, as though he had been waiting for this moment for a long time.

"What did you do?" Phoebe asked quietly, still trying to get used to this new warmness that coursed through her entire being.

Before Cole could answer, the first demon exclaimed, "Hey, my powers are gone!"

Phoebe turned in exasperation to the one who had spoken.

"That's because I gave them to my wife," Cole said, glaring at him for daring to speak out of turn.

"Mine are gone too!" the second demon declared in outrage.

The third demon looked to be thinking along the same thing but didn't dare say anything.

Cole turned back to Phoebe. "Go ahead. Try them out. I know you've been wanting new powers ever since yours were taken away from you."

He motioned to the demons whose powers Phoebe now had, and Phoebe couldn't help but smile in amusement as they all paled even further, knowing what was about to happen.

Phoebe had no idea how she knew what to do, but she raised her hand and pointed it at the first demon, the one who annoyed her the most, and watched as fire erupted from her hand and hit him at full force.

He screamed in agony, the flames tearing at his skin slowly and painfully. She also didn't know how she knew what he was thinking, but he was wishing that it would be done so that he could die. And knowing that just made her want to prolong his pain even longer.

Finally, after what felt like several minutes, Phoebe let her hand fall and the fire was gone, as well as the demon.

The other two were staring at the black spot on the ground where the older demon had stood, and Phoebe knew they were wondering whether they would be next.

"Do you like it?" Cole asked, pressing his hand to her cheek and kissing the top of her head.

Phoebe nodded. "Thank you. I've always wanted that fire throwing power ever since I saw that my past self once had it. I'm curious. What's the third power? I know I can fire-throw, and I could somehow hear what that demon was thinking so I think I can read thoughts, but I want to know what the third power is."

To her surprise, the second demon answered. "You have my power. My Darklighter power."

Ah, so he _was _a darklighter. She smirked in satisfaction. It wasn't what she had been expecting, but she had to admit that it was smart.

The darklighter didn't look pleased that his powers were gone, but he stayed silent, afraid that speaking out of turn what only result in him getting vanquished. His head was bowed and he was doing his best to keep a clear head. Though Phoebe could read that he wanted more than ever to prove to the Source that he could serve him well.

"Well, you all have done well. And we thank you for providing us your powers. Your services will be well rewarded, I promise you. Which is why I am only giving you the simple task of watching the Charmed Ones every move. Do _not _make your presence known; we do not need them knowing that we're there. You just need to watch them and report their every move back to us. Understand?" Cole asked, looking from one to the other expectantly.

They both nodded fervently. The darklighter tried to orb out, but realized that he no longer had his powers. Phoebe stepped aside to let them pass.

Once they were gone, Cole dismissed Maseras so that he and Phoebe were left alone. He turned to her once his advisor was gone. "I know that it took longer than you might've wanted, but it's better late than never."

Phoebe nodded. "I know. Thank you."

Cole brought Phoebe closer to him and hugged her. "Anything for you, baby."

* * *

Paige knocked on the manor's front door, finding it a little inconvenient that she didn't have a key to this place. She was, after all, one of the Charmed Ones. Would she have to knock every time a demon attacked?

It opened a second later, revealing a worried looking Prue. She opened it so that Paige could enter. When she was inside Prue slammed the door shut and grabbed her wrist, leading her quickly up the stairs.

"What's the rush?" Paige asked, trying to keep up with her sister.

"We've got a huge problem. And I need your help to get Piper out of her room."

"Huh?" Paige frowned, trying to understand what Prue was saying.

When they got to the second floor Prue led her to Piper's bedroom door. Despite the apparent urgency, Paige couldn't help but be a little curious as to what Piper's room looked like. But before she could dwell on it too much, Prue knocked on the door twice with her fist.

"Piper, Paige is here. We need to talk to you, it's important!" Prue yelled through the door.

Paige could see that this wasn't Prue's first time trying to talk to Piper, but whatever was going on, Paige had a feeling that it was something to do with Cole.

"I know what you're trying to do and it's not going to work. Just forget it, I'm through with all of this!" Piper snapped.

Prue sighed. "This isn't helping anything! We need your help if we expect to save Phoebe!"

At this the door unexpectedly flew open and Piper's livid face was exposed to her sisters. Paige was taken aback by this. She had never seen Piper so angry. _"Don't _you _dare _talk to me about Phoebe! She betrayed us! She betrayed this family and as far as I'm concerned, she isn't our sister anymore!"

Piper tried to slam the door shut, but Prue's hand stopped it. "No, Piper. I know you're angry. So am I. But that doesn't mean we can turn our back on her."

"Why not? She turned her back on us!"

"But we don't know why! Look, for all we know Cole has her brainwashed. He could've married her against her will and she's trying to find a way back to us. We have to at least try. And if it turns out that she did all of this with her eyes wide open then we can disown her all we want. But at least we can put all of this behind us."

Paige looked from one sister to the other, secretly hoping that Piper would agree with this. She wanted to gloat that she had been right about Phoebe being alive, but she knew this wasn't the time and would only upset Piper even further.

Piper stared at them both helplessly, and Paige's heart went out to her. She honestly didn't have a clue as to what she was going through since she had grown up as an only child. But she did know that she would be devastated if something like this ever happened to Prue and Piper. She understood Piper's pain, and wished that she could somehow take it away from her.

She watched as Piper sighed and threw her hands up in defeat. "Okay, fine. But I'm only doing this on the off chance that you're right. If Phoebe is being brainwashed than we owe it to her to save her. But if she deliberately turned her back on us..." she couldn't bring herself to finish the sentence.

"Then I will personally kick her out myself. Don't worry, Piper. You aren't alone in this. Phoebe is our sister, too," Prue finished, and wrapped her arms around Piper in a loving and understanding hug. Paige could see tears start to stream down Piper's cheek, and her heart clenched in her chest at the obvious pain her sister was in.

It made her start to think of Phoebe in a whole different way.

"Well, we need to come up with a vanquishing spell for Cole. If he truly does have her brainwashed, than killing him should break his hold on her," Prue began as they started up the stairs to the attic.

"And if that doesn't work?" Piper asked, wiping her eyes with the back of her sleeve.

Prue tilted her head to meet her eye and give her an empathetic smile. "We'll figure that out if it comes to that."

Piper seemed satisfied with this answer and she let Prue and Paige lead her into the attic. Paige wanted to say something comforting but she wasn't sure how well it would be received. After all, Paige had been the one to tell her that Phoebe might not be dead in the first place.

"So what exactly were you guys planning? Doing the Belthazor summoning spell and hope that it would work?" Piper asked, and Paige couldn't tell if she was being sarcastic or not.

Prue shook her head. "No, I don't think that would work now. He's the Source now, and he'd probably just ignore it. We have to come up with something else. Something big and unexpected that they wouldn't be expecting."

"What wouldn't the Source be expecting?" Paige asked, snorting in disbelief. "From what I've heard about the guy, he isn't exactly just another demon."

"We could send a message," Prue answered slowly, as though the thought were only just now occurring to her. "Or offer a trade. But what do we have that he covets?"

Paige thought for a moment. It was a good question. But Piper interjected.

"No, we can't do a trade. It would never work."

"Why not?" Prue countered.

Piper sighed. "Because the Source isn't going to just give us someone he loves. He must've married Phoebe for a reason. It could be for love, but I'd be willing to bet that she brings him power somehow. An ex-Charmed One ruling beside a demon? They could be almost unstoppable."

"But there has to be something that he needs more. Something crucial to his survival," Prue argued.

Suddenly a crazy thought jumped into Paige's head. It was definitely a long shot, and she knew her sisters would never go for it, but it was worth a shot.

"We could offer him the Book of Shadows," Paige said quietly.

Both Prue and Piper burst into laughter. "That would never work for about a million reasons, not the least of which is that Cole knows we would never actually give it to him. Evil can't touch that book, and without it we aren't the Charmed Ones. That book connects us, and not just because it has been in our family for generations. It's part of our heritage, part of who we are, and-"

"Okay, okay, I got it. Just thought I'd ask," Paige interrupted, holding up her hand to stop Prue from saying anything more.

"Oh sweetie, we know you're just trying to help. But we have to think in terms that Cole will understand. Before he was the Source, he was just a demon who was trying to kill us, and during that time he learned a lot about us," Piper started.

"And after that he tried to earn Phoebe's love back by trying to be good, so he was at the house all the time which, consequently, made him learn our strengths and our weaknesses," Prue finished.

Paige sighed. It was times like these that she wished she knew crucial pieces of information like this. She wished that she had grown up with the Halliwell sisters so that she wouldn't sound like an idiot when she offered her own ideas.

"But there must be _something _you guys have learned about him," Paige argued, a bit harsher than she had intended. "I mean, if he's spent so much time here learning all this stuff about you, then you must have learned something about him as well."

Prue's brow furrowed as she considered this. Paige just might be on to something. There wasn't much she knew about Cole since he had been less than willing to share his secrets with them, but she did know how much he loved Phoebe. And if he loved her as much as he said he did, then he would probably be willing to do just about anything for her.

Paige and Piper looked at her expectantly, waiting for her to share with them what she was thinking.

"Piper, we both know that Cole and Phoebe love each other. Right? So he would probably be willing to tell us his plans and maybe even give Phoebe up if it meant keeping her safe," Prue began.

Piper eyed her older sister suspiciously. "What are you getting at?"

"Piper, think about it. Cole has made it a point to remind us over and over again that he loves Phoebe, that he was trying to be good for her. He truly cares about her. So, if we somehow summoned Phoebe here and broke the spell or trance or whatever that he has on her, than she might be able to convince him to give up his powers if it meant staying with her," Prue explained.

"You really think he would do that?"

"Well yeah. Assuming that he's got her brainwashed or something. Phoebe would never willingly marry Cole if she knew he was evil, not to mention the Source of All Evil," Prue replied.

Paige glanced at Piper, pretending that she knew Phoebe as well as they did. "Please, Piper. It's worth a shot. And, assuming it works, we'll know once and for all which side she's on."

Piper nodded, giving in. "Okay. Let's do it. Were you planning on doing the To Call A Lost Witch spell?"

"Yes. I'll get everything we need. You and Paige find the spell."

Each did what they were supposed to, and a minute later they were all surrounding the book, looking at the spell they were supposed to say.

Together, they began to chant.

_'Power of the witches rise,_

_Course unseen across the skies,_

_Come to us who call you near,_

_Come to us and settle here.' _

Then Prue took out a small needle and pricked her finger. She handed it to Piper, who pricked her finger and gave it to Paige. Once they all spilled some of their blood into their ritual bowl, they said:

_'Blood to blood, I summon thee,_

_Blood to blood, return to me.'_

Paige watched the center of the attic intended for Phoebe to appear in, and blinked in confusion when she continued to see nothing.

She looked to Prue and Piper and saw that they were thinking the same thing.

"I don't get it. That spell was supposed to work," Prue said, putting her hands on her hips and walking over to the place where Phoebe was supposed to be.

"Maybe since we took her powers away, she isn't a witch anymore," Piper offered, but it brought no comfort.

"But that can't be right. Just because she isn't a Charmed One anymore doesn't mean she isn't still a witch," Prue replied, still looking to be in shock that their trusted spell hadn't worked.

An unexpected voice spoke up from behind them. "You girls wouldn't happen to be talking about me, would you?"


	13. Put To The Test

A/N: Again, sorry that this chapter is a little shorter than the rest. But I feel it's good, maybe one of my favorite chapters. I'd appreciate input, I always love to hear what you guys think of the story!

**Cole + Phoebe = Love Forever: **Yay an update! I'm so glad you like it. I think you'll like what happens next.

**thaatgirrl: **Thank you so much, I'm glad you like it! Hope you like the next chapter.

**Kalyra-Anne: **Thanks! This chapter jumps right in, and hopefully you'll like what happens next!

**Shadow Cat17: **Thanks! Hope you like this chapter.

**Rocky: **Thank you, I'm glad you're liking it. I know you'll like what happens next! (I always consider ideas reviewers give me) *wink*

**Angelspot: **Thanks, I wasn't sure how the darklighter power would go over. You'll see more of Phoebe's powers in the next chapters. Glad you like it.

**kagonekikyo-arrow: **Thank you. Hope you like this one!

**Draco's-Loyal-Longing: **Thank you. I know you'll like this chapter!

**BellaCullen666: **Yay an update! Hope you like this chapter!

**Rahl's beloved Queen Kahlan: **Because I'm evil. Lol. But no worries, I always try to update as often as possible. Hopefully you'll like this chapter, it shows the sisters' reactions quite nicely. At least, that was what I was going for.

* * *

_Chapter Thirteen_

Paige whirled around to face the person who had spoken. She didn't have to ask to know who she was. She had the same chestnut colored hair, high cheekbones, and naturally good looks as that of her older sisters. She couldn't be anyone other than Phoebe.

Phoebe stared at each of them in turn and started moving slowly towards them. Paige and her sisters backed away as Phoebe approached them as though they were afraid Phoebe might do something to them if she got too close.

"Why'd you summon me, girls?" Phoebe asked. Her voice was low and dangerous. With those five words, Paige could see that all the speculation they had made about Phoebe had been true. But whether this was truly Phoebe talking or the brainwash was something Paige could not yet decipher.

Prue was the one who spoke up first. "We had to see for ourselves whether you truly were alive. I can see just from looking at you that we were right."

Phoebe's face contorted into one of mock sympathy. "Oh, is the big bad Prue Halliwell suddenly not feeling so big and bad?"

"I think you have her mistaken for someone else," Piper threw back pointedly, and Phoebe turned her attention to her.

"You think you've got this all figured out, do you? You think that just because I'm with Cole now, I'm one hundred percent evil, is that it?"

"Yeah, I think I've figured that out just by looking at you."

Phoebe scoffed in disbelief, and a flicker of fear passed through Paige. She wondered what Phoebe was going to do next.

"You don't know anything about me." Then she turned to Prue and Paige. "None of you do. If you knew what Cole did, what he _risked _to save your lives, you might be thanking us one day."

Paige finally spoke up, hoping that Phoebe wouldn't turn on her. "Then why don't you tell us. Why don't you fill us in so that we don't have to guess anymore."

Phoebe smirked and took two menacing steps toward her. Paige gulped, keeping her full attention on her third sister, not daring to glance at Prue and Piper.

"So you're the one they replaced me with. Tell me, what was the pitch that they threw to you? 'You have a chance to save the world, to protect the innocent?' Did it give your life meaning?" Phoebe hissed.

Paige blinked and opened her mouth to reply, but Phoebe wasn't finished yet.

"I'll bet you were feeling lost and confused. Right? Like your life wasn't amounting to anything? That's probably why they chose you. You reminded them of me because you were so pathetic. So _willing _to do just about anything to give your life purpose. Well, I've got news for you. There's only so much you can do before you realize that saving innocents can only bring you so much satisfaction. And by the time you realize that you need more than that, it'll be too late to turn back, and your life will be just empty and meaningless as it was before you became a witch."

Paige gulped and somehow managed to say, "Actually, I wasn't feeling that way at all, and they didn't find me because of any of that. They found me because I'm their sister." She took a deep breath. "Because I'm _your _sister."

Phoebe hadn't been expecting that. She took a step back, keeping her wide eyes glued to Paige. "What did you just say?"

Paige seemed to gain a little courage by Phoebe's shock. "I'm your sister. Well, half-sister. Our mother had an affair with her whitelighter and then she-"

Phoebe held up a hand to stop her and turned to Prue and Piper. "How long have you known about this?"

"We only found out after you left. Grams and Mom came by and told us so that we could reconstitute the Charmed Ones," Prue replied.

Phoebe raised her eyebrows in dismay. "And you didn't think this was something you should've shared with me?"

Piper looked at her in shock. "When did we ever have the _chance _to tell you, Phoebe? You've been down there playing Queen of the Damned for so long that you never gave us a chance!"

Phoebe shrugged. "It doesn't matter. Nothing's really changed. I mean, except for the whole being betrayed part."

"Excuse me, being betrayed? If anyone has been betrayed around here, it's _us _by _you!_ What kind of sister turns her back on her sisters for a guy? An evil, half-demon no less!" Piper exclaimed, and something inside her seemed to snap. "You run down to the Underworld to save this evil half-demon, only to find yourself trapped. Only I don't believe you were really trapped. You had dozens of opportunities to save yourself, to call us or Leo for help, and what do you do? You turn into the Queen of all freakin' Evil!"

Now all three sisters were staring at Piper in surprise. Paige knew Piper had been keeping her emotions bottled up inside her, but she had no idea just how much she was holding in.

Phoebe's tone lightened up, and for a split second Paige could see the sister that Prue and Piper had once known. "If that is really what you think, then you obviously don't know me as well as I thought you did."

"Then give me something to work with. Tell me that I'm wrong, that Cole brainwashed you so that he could become some all-mighty powerful Source. Tell me that you want us to save you," Piper snapped, glaring at her younger sister with as much venom as she could muster.

Phoebe crossed her arms and stared at the floor. "Piper, it's not that simple. Yes, I had about a million chances to come back up, and yes, I married Cole and became Queen of the Underworld. I did all of that with my eyes wide open. I knew the consequences that would come with that. And I guess that in your eyes that makes me evil. But there is so much more to it than that. So much more that you will never understand!"

"Then help us understand, Phoebe!" Prue said, speaking up again. "Explain to us what exactly it is that you're trying to accomplish down there, and we'll leave you alone. Maybe we can even help."

Phoebe shook her head, and Paige could see that evil Phoebe was back. "I don't need your help. The only thing that you can do for me is to stay out of the way. Or else, you're gonna get burned."

And with that, Phoebe was gone with a burst of fire.

* * *

Prue watched as her baby sister left them standing alone in the attic, and couldn't help but feel a wave of responsibility for what had just occurred. She went to stand next to Piper and wrap her arm consolingly around her shoulder.

Piper looked as though she were about to cry, and once she felt Prue's comforting arm, she did just that.

"Piper, this isn't your fault. You can't think that," Prue whispered in her ear.

Paige went to stand on Piper's other side, and gave her a hug of her own.

"She's right, Piper. This isn't anyone's fault."

"No," Prue said, correcting Paige. "It is. It's my fault. I was the one who wanted to summon Phoebe here. I was the one who thought that maybe we could save her, and in doing so I just put you guys in even more danger and pain."

No!" Piper exclaimed, rounding on her older sister. "Don't you say that! Don't even think it! We couldn't have known who we would be bringing here by summoning Phoebe! We had no way of knowing that she would become this mega evil bitch who took great pleasure in getting to all of us! If anyone is to blame for this, it's Cole!"

"Cole?" Prue and Paige said in confusion.

Piper nodded impatiently. "Yes, Cole. He's the one who convinced Leo to let Phoebe stay down there in the first place. He's the one who killed the Source and probably forced Phoebe to use her magic for evil in the first place, causing her to become evil. He was probably responsible for everything that Phoebe just said."

"So you _do _think Phoebe is brainwashed?" Paige wondered, raising one eyebrow.

"I don't know what I think. I don't know if he has her under some kind of mind control or whether Phoebe really has turned against us of her own free will. But I do know that Cole is the one who is to blame for this whole mess. If there is even the slimmest chance of saving Phoebe, we need to get rid of him," Piper explained, her eyes going dark with a vengeance that Prue had never seen in her before.

"But you heard Phoebe. If we go after them, it's gonna cause some problems," Paige pointed out.

"So we cause problems. But I don't believe that Phoebe would actually hurt us. I know her. She doesn't have a mean bone in her body, despite what she may think," Piper said.

Prue stared at her, wanting to see if Piper was serious or not. "And you're willing to bank all of our lives on this theory of yours?"

"I have to, Prue. Otherwise the alternative is losing our sister to the dark side, and I don't think I can handle that," Piper muttered, and went to go look in the Book of Shadows.

"Uh, Piper? We've already checked in the book, and there isn't anything in there that can help."

"No, but there may be something in here to help Phoebe see reason. You know, something to remind her of who she really is," Piper replied, not looking up as she flipped quickly through the pages of the book.

Prue and Paige glanced at each other, each of their worried expressions mirroring the other's. But Prue decided not to let her worries known. She was just glad that Piper was finally deciding to fight back.

"What did you have in mind?" Prue asked, moving to stand beside Piper by the book. Paige soon followed.

"To be honest with you, I'm not really sure. But there has to be something in here to remind Phoebe of her old self and get her to see that she belongs here with us. She was the first one to embrace being a Charmed One, and for her to give it all up so easily...it's not right," Piper said.

"I know, sweetie. And we'll get her back. I promise," Prue said, hugging Piper tightly. But she didn't have the heart to tell her that she didn't quite believe her own statement.

* * *

As Phoebe emerged back in the Underworld, Cole looked up, his face livid in outrage. "Where the hell have you been?" he snapped, leaning down so that their faces were just inches from each other's.

"My sisters cast the To Call A Lost Witch spell. I was summoned back to the manor," Phoebe replied gravely, not wanting to talk about what had just happened between her and her sisters.

"You didn't tell them anything, did you?" Cole demanded, not quite ready to let the conversation go.

"Of course not. But you know as well as I that they aren't just going to let it go at that," Phoebe replied, turning away so that there was some space between them.

Cole let her go, but watched her, and Phoebe could see worry cross his features. "Let it go at what? What did you guys talk about?"

Something in Cole's voice made Phoebe stare at him, and she felt this strong urge to defend herself."Nothing, Cole. At least not anything worth talking about."

But Cole didn't look convinced. "So they just brought you back because they missed you?"

Phoebe glared at him, not appreciating the sarcasm. "C'mon, Cole. You know I would never betray you, so why push this?"

"Because I'm worried that they might have gotten to you somehow. Your sisters aren't going to just let you go because you told them to. If anything, it'll just make them push harder. You know that as well as I do," Cole retorted.

Phoebe shook her head helplessly, knowing that if their roles had been reversed she would've been saying the exact same thing to him. "So what do you want me to do, Cole? Prove my loyalty? I meant what I said in my vows to you. We were meant to be together. If that isn't enough then maybe we should..." she trailed off.

"What? Get a divorce? Phoebe, when you married me you walked through a one-way door. I know you love me, and you know that I love you. If we expect to survive then we have to stick together."

"Don't you think I know that? God, Cole. It's not like I let them summon me! And the fact that I'm down here with you after talking to my sisters should tell you something. I'm not ready to let you go." Phoebe stared at him, trying to portray her words through her eyes.

Cole sighed and nodded. "I know. I'm sorry. I guess I'm just worried after the mess with Danill and everything..."

Phoebe nodded. "Well, as long as we stick together we'll be fine. We just have to remember that."

Cole and Phoebe leaned into each other lovingly, and Phoebe silently hoped that he would take them back to the apartment so they could take their minds off everything that had happened since their attempt at a honeymoon.

It was like Cole read her mind, and a second later they were back at the apartment, more specifically the bedroom.

Phoebe smirked when she read Cole's thoughts. And they all involved the bed, dimmed lighting, and romantic music.

He lifted her up and carried her to their kind sized bed. He dropped her gently and crawled on top of her, kissing every place on her body that he could.

"Let me make it up to you," he whispered seductively in her ear.

She didn't say anything. She didn't have to. Phoebe told him with her body language to keep going.

All the time that he was kissing her and groping her body, he kept thinking about kids and starting a family. Her heart started beating rapidly as the thoughts passed from his mind to hers. She could feel how badly he wanted one, particularly a son. It was a feeling shared by both of them, only Phoebe hadn't known how much she wanted one until that particular moment.

"I love you, Phoebe. And I want to show them that we're here to stay," he moaned, trying to get his jeans off without getting up.

Phoebe would've helped him, but the angle in which he was on top of her restricted her movement, and she could only reach his torso.

But it didn't matter because a moment later he succeeded in his task. And Phoebe didn't need a premonition to know what would happen next.


	14. Early Morning Plotting

A/N: Wow, I got to 100! I feel like I've reached a milestone. Thanks so much to those of you who have read and reviewed, you have no idea how much I appreciate it! I've been feeling sick lately and I have a horrible headache. Reviews would probably make me feel much better! Well, that and meds, of course.

**Cole + Phoebe = Love Forever: **Well, if you somehow managed to get to Piper, she'd probably back down after your threat! Lol. Glad you like it, and as for the children bit, I haven't decided what's going to happen. But they might get pregnant very soon.*wink*

**Angelspot: **Thanks...I think. Lol. I'm so glad you like it! Hopefully you'll like this next chapter.

**Shadow Cat17: **Thank you! Hope you like this chapter!

**PhoebeColefan: **Yay another update! Glad you like it, hopefully you'll like this chapter too.

**lizardmomma: **Yes, it was only a matter of time before they faced each other again. Glad you liked it, hope you like this next chapter!

**BellaCullen666: **It's about time. Lol. Hope you like this chapter!

**Rahl's beloved Queen Kahlan: **Oh yes, it'll definitely be worth it...*wink*. Hope you like the next chapter!

**Draco's-Loyal-Longing: **Thank you! I try to get into the character's heads, and I'm glad to see that you're liking it!

**Rocky: **We'll see how the whole evil power of three thing goes, though I have to admit that it's a good idea. Hope you like the next chapter!

**thaatgirrl: **Glad you like it! Hope you like this next one!

**qtgirl: **I know, I was trying to portray that even though Phoebe is evil, she's still the same character. You know, what would've happened if Phoebe turned evil willingly. Hope that makes sense. Anyway, glad you like it! Hope you like the next chapter!

* * *

_Chapter Fourteen_

Later that night Prue and Leo convinced Piper to go to P3. It was a vital source of income, and a good distraction. Piper had to admit that taking her mind off of the last twenty-four hours would be a welcome change. Plus she had booked one of her favorite bands for that night. People would think it strange if she _didn't _go.

The sisters and Leo decided it would be best if they all went. After the bad mood that Phoebe had left them in was lifted, they all thought that they wouldn't let her or Cole ruin their lives.

But P3 hadn't proved to be the welcome distraction that they had all hoped for. The band was great, and the place was packed as usual. But something was off about the whole thing, and it wasn't until they were driving home in their now-typical sullen states that Piper realized she hadn't been to P3 without Phoebe.

Piper tried not to show just how much this new realization had hit her. That would only gain her even more sympathy, something she was up to her eyes in.

When they reached the manor around two in the morning, Piper had already forgotten all about P3. She was looking to passing out on her and Leo's kind sized bed too much. She had to convince herself to change into her pajamas. As she settled down into bed with Leo, she realized just how long this day had been. So much had happened. They found out that Phoebe was alive, they summoned her, found her, and lost her all in one day.

Piper fell asleep with dreams of the Underworld, demons, and a bunch of other stuff she would spend the next day trying to forget.

The first thing she noticed when she woke up the next morning was Leo's comforting presence gone. She didn't think too much of this. He had plenty of other charges who needed his help, and he'd been spending more time Up There consulting with the Elders ever since Phoebe disappeared. Now that they knew for a fact that Phoebe was married to the Source, Piper suspected that they were going through every magical spell they could think of to get her back to their side.

When she finally managed to pull herself out of bed, she put on her robe and sauntered tiredly down to the kitchen, mentally willing Prue to have made coffee already.

But when she reached the kitchen, she discovered the sister she hadn't been expecting.

Paige was sitting at the kitchen table reading the front page of the newspaper, a fresh cup of coffee in her hands. She didn't look up as Piper entered.

"Morning, sunshine. Why aren't you at your place?" Piper asked as she poured herself a cup of her own.

Paige barely glanced up as she regarded Piper. "I never went home last night. By the time we got back here, I was too exhausted to even think about driving across town."

"Fair enough. So what're you reading?" Piper asked, changing the subject.

"I don't want you getting the wrong idea. It's not like I actually read the newspaper when turning the TV on to a news station is much easier. But I figured this would be an easier way of spotting any unusual demonic activity in the city," Paige explained simply.

"And you didn't think scrying would help?" Piper asked, looking at Paige in amusement.

Paige shrugged. "I'm still kinda new to this whole witch thing. Plus, doesn't scrying for evil usually result in finding more than you were looking for?"

"I guess. It's a smart plan, Paige. Really. I just don't think that looking in a newspaper for any sign of what Phoebe and Cole are up to is really going to help. Evil is usually more insidious than that," Piper replied, now turning her attention on the entryway to the kitchen. "Did Prue ever get up this morning?"

"I don't know. But the coffee was already made when I came down this morning. Maybe Prue left," Paige suggested half-heartedly, not fully engrossed in her newspaper again.

"But she wouldn't..." Piper trailed off as she realized that Paige was probably right. Whenever Prue was feeling overwhelmed or at a loss over what to do next she usually went to work.

"...wouldn't what?" Paige asked distractedly.

Piper shook her head. "Never mind. I know where Prue went. Shouldn't you be at work?"

Paige looked at Piper as though she was crazy. "Are you kidding? After that crazy day yesterday? I'd never be able to concentrate."

But her eyes opened wide in horror as she realized something she had obviously forgotten. "Oh my god! The placement hearing! Mr. Cowan is going to have my head if I'm not there!"

Paige left the newspaper on the kitchen table as she ran out of the manor still in a borrowed pair of Prue's pajamas. Suppressing an amused laugh, Piper decided to take her coffee into the living room, hoping that the TV would be enough to keep the events of the previous day out of her mind.

She purposefully avoided the news, deciding on watching some soaps instead. It was nice to think that maybe there were some families out there that were more whacked out than theirs. But then again, the people in the soap operas didn't have to worry about whether their siblings would turn evil.

Piper hadn't even noticed that she had drifted back into sleep until the ringing phone snapped her out of it.

"Hello?" she said groggily, too lazy to look at the caller ID.

"Piper? God, you sound terrible. Did you get any sleep last night?" Prue's worried voice asked in her ear.

Piper flinched, Prue's tone too loud to sound casual. "You just woke me up," she replied matter-of-factly.

"Sorry, Piper. I just didn't want you to wake up, see that I was gone, and start to panic. I wasn't really sure how you would react, ever since..." Prue's voice trailed off, and Piper let the conversation hang for a moment.

"Is that all?" she asked after a while.

"Yeah, why else would I be calling?"

Piper sighed. She was obviously still a little peeved that she had been woken up by Prue's phone call, and for a moment she felt a slight fraction of guilt for even bearing a bad thought towards her older sister. She just supposed that she was still feeling on edge after Phoebe's visit.

"No reason. Just thought that maybe you had gotten some inspiration on what we're supposed to do next regarding the Source," Piper said quickly, trying to cover up her small hesitation.

"The Source? We aren't even calling him Cole anymore?" Prue wondered.

Piper shook her head, then realized that Prue couldn't see her and said, "Why would we? He isn't anything to us other than the Source."

"How about our brother-in-law?" Prue blurted out, and Piper had the sense that she hadn't intended on saying that.

Still, Piper couldn't help feeling a swift stab of betrayal. "Are you saying that you're having second thoughts?"

"No, no of course not!" There was a pause and then, "Okay, well maybe a little bit. Piper, just hear me out for one second," she said, her words coming out faster since she could sense Piper's disbelief. "We're trying to save Phoebe, right?"

She waited for Piper to confirm this.

"Right," Piper muttered.

"And we know that, despite everything that has happened, she loves Cole, and probably always will. There's nothing that we can do to change that. So, if we know all this, then what's the one surefire way to keep Phoebe away forever?" Prue continued.

Piper could see where her older sister was going with this but she didn't want to agree with her. But Prue was obviously waiting for an answer. "Vanquishing Cole," she mumbled, hoping that she was able to portray just how unwilling she was to put this theory to the test.

"Right. But then this also got me thinking. We all believe that there is a way to get Phoebe back on our side. So why can't the same be said for Cole?" Prue asked, sounding excited by this theory.

"Well, for one thing, Cole is the Source of all Evil, and I've never heard of a Source who renounced his evil ways to become good. I just don't see how it can be done," Piper replied.

"But why not? Just because it hasn't been done before doesn't mean that it can't work! How is being Queen of all Evil any different than being the Source?" Prue argued.

Piper sighed, not really believing that Prue of all people was having this conversation with her. "Because as far as we know, there has never been a Queen of all Evil. Which means that no rules have been written about her duties. And besides that, most demons know who we are, so they probably know who Phoebe is. Or at least, who she used to be."

"So?" Prue quipped.

"_So _they probably don't want Phoebe ruling over them any more than we do."

"And what do you think we should do about that? Call on a demon to help us? They may not like the idea of Phoebe being the Queen of all Evil any more than we do, but they definitely won't be willing to go against the Source's back like that."

Piper didn't say anything at first. She waited for Prue to elaborate since she obviously felt so strongly about her theory.

She didn't have to wait very long for Prue to speak up again. "The Elders think that there is a way to turn Phoebe back on our side. So why can't the same be said for Cole? I don't like the guy any more than you do, Piper, but vanquishing him and then expecting Phoebe to just jump back into her Charmed duties without a second thought is like telling a child to get over the loss of his parents a day later. It's just not possible."

"Well, then that's a chance we're going to have to take because I don't trust Cole. Not even a little bit. Who's to say he won't try the exact same thing again should we succeed?"

Prue remained silent at this.

"We all want Phoebe back. That's not the question. But she's gotten over guys before. We all have. She'll do it again, and we can help her through it!"

Piper could practically feel Prue shake her head. "This time is different, Piper. We both know it. We have to at least try. And if it doesn't work, then I will be the one to vanquish Cole myself. You have my word."

As a response, Piper let out an exasperated sigh and hung up. How on earth did she always manage to let Prue talk her into these crazy ideas?

* * *

When Phoebe opened her eyes the following morning, she nearly forgot where she was. For a split second she thought she was back in her bed at the manor, but when she felt Cole's bare chest beside hers, the events of the previous day came rushing back to her.

Cole was still sleeping, and Phoebe didn't want to wake him. Slowly she sat up and slid out of bed, covering her naked body with a black bathrobe that she had luckily remembered to drape over the desk chair on her side of the room.

She tiptoed out of the bedroom and once she was satisfied, she closed the door. She walked quietly to the other side of the apartment and made herself some herbal tea. She didn't feel like coffee, and something was telling her it wasn't a good idea anyway.

Once her tea was made she went to her computer and contemplated whether or not to write something. It didn't really matter what, but it had been something she'd done as a kid whenever she was bored or having a bad day. She would usually write poetry, particularly if she'd just come out of a bad fight with Prue or Grams. It never mattered which one she'd fought with; the result always came out the same. A rather angsty teen poem about loss and whatever else she could think of at the time.

It hadn't been something she'd done recently. The closest she had ever come to writing poems were her spells.

Phoebe had to admit that spell-writing was something she missed. Not enough to get her to go back, but enough that she felt as though a part of her was missing. And it was true enough; she was no longer a Charmed One so there wasn't any need to write spells anymore.

Still, she found her hands opening a new document on the laptop and she began typing words into verses filled with feelings she hadn't even known she'd had.

As she read her finished product ten minutes later, she couldn't help but notice little to no changes between the poem she had just written, and the poems she'd written as a teenager. They were still about loss and love, and were full of angst.

She heard the bedroom door open and she quickly deleted her poem before Cole could read it.

Cole emerged in a pair of black sweatpants. His dark hair was disheveled, and he was rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. Phoebe knew he hadn't slept like that in a long time.

He spotted her at the computer and smiled. "Hey, babe. How long have you been up?"

"Not long. Maybe thirty minutes or so," Phoebe replied, standing up from the table and walking over to meet him back in the kitchen.

Cole grabbed himself a granola bar and took Phoebe's hand in his free one and led her back to the dining table.

"I want to apologize for what I said last night. I was way out of line, and I want you to know that I didn't mean what I said. I trust you completely," he started.

Phoebe noticed that he hadn't opened his granola bar. "I thought you more than made up for that last night..."

"Yeah, well, I just wanted to clear the air, just in case there is any leftover tension. I want to put this whole thing behind us," he continued, looking at his lap as though ashamed of how he had acted before.

"Cole, forget about it. It's ancient history. I probably would've said the same thing as you," Phoebe said, causing Cole to frown.

"No, you wouldn't have," he said.

"How do you know?"

Cole smiled and brought his wife closer to him. "Because you are the sweetest, most forgiving person I know."

Phoebe frowned. "Sweet? I'm the Queen of the damned Underworld, and you still think of me as sweet?"

"Oh come on Phoebe, you know what I meant. It's not in your nature to hold grudges."

Phoebe turned away, the conversation she'd had with her sisters replaying in her mind. "Tell that to Prue and Piper."

"What?" Cole asked, moving so that he was looking right into her eyes. "What exactly did you girls talk about?"

Phoebe pulled away so that she could start to pace. "Nothing, really. They summoned me and although they didn't exactly tell me why, I'm pretty sure it was so they could see whether I had really turned against them. Anyway, we started talking...a little heatedly...and they said exactly what I thought they'd say."

"Which was...?" Cole pressed when Phoebe had stopped talking.

"They wanted to know if it was true that I had married you, and if you really were the Source. And they..." she trailed off, Piper's words coming back to haunt her mind again and again. _'Tell me that I'm wrong, that Cole brainwashed you so that he could become some all-mighty powerful Source. Tell me that you want us to save you.' _

Cole stared at Phoebe in concern. "Phoebe, what did they tell you?"

Phoebe met his eye, and for the first time since coming back, she felt guilty for what she had said. "They wanted to know whether or not I wanted them to save me."

"What?" Cole exploded, shooting up out of his seat.

Phoebe stared at him cautiously, not sure whether he was about to do something stupid.

"What did you tell them?"

"That I didn't need saving! I married you with my own free will. If I wanted to leave you, I would've done it already. I've sacrificed everything to be with you Cole, and I just can't believe that you can't see that!" Phoebe exclaimed in outrage.

Cole calmed down a little bit upon hearing Phoebe's words, and she could've sworn she could see remorse in his eyes. "I know that, Phoebe. And I'm sorry. I guess I'm just paranoid that your sisters are going to find a way to split us apart."

Phoebe's expression softened, and she sat back in his lap again. "We won't let them. Nothing can keep us apart, no matter what."

Cole didn't look convinced. "I know you believe that, but witchcraft is a powerful thing. Especially Charmed magic. I haven't seen your Book of Shadows, but I'd be willing to bet that there is something in there to break apart evil love."

"Not if I can help it!" she exclaimed, her eyes flashing over with an idea. She looked to Cole to see if he was thinking the same thing as she, but he only looked confused.

"Uh, Phoebe, what exactly are you getting at?"

"Don't you see? I can't believe we didn't think of this before! All we have to do in order to make sure my sisters don't get in the way anymore is to steal the Book of Shadows!"


	15. The Second Confrontation

A/N: Don't underestimate Phoebe, she has a few tricks up her sleeve! Thanks so much to **ShadowCat17, PhoebeColefan, Bleu Feenix, lizardmomma, Concealed Eminence, Draco's-Loyal-Longing, Cole + Phoebe = Love Forever, Angelspot, BellaCullen666, Rahl's beloved Queen Kahlan, **and** Mama Darkness **for reviewing. Sorry I'm not replying individually again. But I appreciate all input! Hope you like this chapter!

* * *

_Chapter Fifteen_

Cole tilted his head back in his laughter. "Phoebe, you really had me going there! Did you forget that evil can't touch that book?"

Phoebe watched his rather immature display with annoyance. "Of course not, Cole. _You _seem to be the one forgetting that I'm a witch."

Cole held back his amusement and took a good hard look into her eyes. He tried to find a sign that she was joking, or just getting back at him for turning on her like he had the previous day. But his amusement died down when he realized that Phoebe was quite serious. "Uh, Phoebe? Don't you think that the Halliwell ancestors would've protected that book from spells that shield evil? It's probably already been done before."

Phoebe rolled her eyes. "It hurts how much you underestimate me. My sisters have already done that; I don't need it from you, too."

She turned away from him and sat back down at the computer, opening up a new document.

Cole looked to his feet, ashamed of the words he had just spoken. He hadn't meant for it to sound as though he didn't have faith in her. He did; in fact he placed more faith in her than he had ever given anyone else.

"I know, baby. I'm sorry. If anyone can find a way to steal the Book of Shadows, it's you."

Phoebe didn't look as though she believed him. She kept her eyes glued to the computer screen, typing whatever was going through her mind quickly so that she wouldn't forget them.

Hating the awkward silence between them, Cole said after a while, "Is that a spell you're working on?"

Phoebe nodded. "One that will hopefully take on the appearance of a Power of Three spell. If it recognizes it as a Power of Three spell, then it should recognize me as one of the Charmed Ones."

"Okay, I hate to poke holes in this plan, but don't you need the actual Power of Three in order for a Power of Three spell to be worth anything? I mean, when just one or two of you read one of those spells, it didn't work like it should have. Right?"

Phoebe glared at him for a moment before turning back to the screen. Cole could see that he had just said something wrong again.

"No. I mean, yes it didn't have as much firepower as it should have, but whenever I said a Power of Three spell by myself, it did some damage, just not a lot. I said it to Shax when I was still above ground and it made him go away for a little while. And besides, this spell isn't actually going to be a Power of Three spell. It'll just _sound _like one," she explained slowly, as though she had just explained it to a three-year-old.

Now Cole was becoming irritated. "Well, excuse me for not growing up in a Charmed household. I've been a demon longer than you've been _alive, _Phoebe. I'm sorry if I don't really know the inner workings of witches!"

Phoebe sighed, and Cole relaxed when he saw her defeated look. "You're right. I'm sorry. Maybe I should just finish this up by myself."

"That's fine. I have some business to attend anyway."

Phoebe didn't watch as Cole vanished in a blaze of fire. Cole knew that they were both were a little on edge. It was clear that they were being tested, and they both knew that the only way in which they were going to survive it was if they were on each other's sides.

That was why he didn't mind if Phoebe and he took a little time away from each other. It gave him the perfect opportunity to conduct his meetings. Not that he didn't intentionally exclude her, but he wasn't sure how she would react to seeing demons receive orders to kill innocents. Not when she was so new to being evil.

When Cole was down in the cave that had always been known as the Source's lair, he closed his eyes and telepathically summoned Maseras.

"Yes, my liege?"

"Gather all the faction leaders. It's time I started making it well known that Phoebe and I are here to stay."

* * *

Prue was not looking forward to getting home. Mainly because it involved talking to Piper, and if their phone conversation earlier was any indication of how speaking face to face was going to be, then she wasn't too eager to get started on it.

She had known that Piper wouldn't take kindly to the idea of saving Cole. Hell, Prue was barely even able to hold her breakfast down just thinking about it, but in her deepest heart of hearts, she knew that it was the only way to save Phoebe.

Prue had just finished her assignment on photographing one of San Francisco's local celebrity chefs, and once she had turned in her pictures, her boss Gil Corso, had told her she was free to leave.

But she drove down to the cafe on the end of the block and ordered lunch and driven around town for a while before deciding that Piper had calmed down enough to give the idea a chance. Though if she were truly honest with herself, she knew that it would only take a miracle for Piper to see the logic in it.

Prue figured that it would take Paige, Leo, and herself ganging up on Piper for Piper to agree with them, but she would never do that to her. And it would only cause Piper to hate the idea even more. And the bigger picture in all of this was saving Phoebe. In the end, it wasn't Prue or Piper's feelings towards Cole that mattered. It was Phoebe's well being.

Once Prue got home, she parked her black BMW SUV in front of the manor as usual, grabbed her purse and camera equipment from the passenger seat, and walked up the stairs slowly.

When she opened the door, she heard Piper and Leo talking in the living room.

"Hey, guys," she said, announcing her arrival.

Piper and Leo shut up once they realized they were no longer alone, and turned to face Prue, smiles plastered on their faces.

"How was work?" Piper asked automatically.

Frowning, Prue said, "Fine."

Both Piper and Leo were staring at her as though she had just interrupted an important conversation. Prue waited for them to continue, but when it became apparent that they weren't going to, she said, "Look, it's obvious that you were discussing witch-y type stuff, and that involves me too. So whatever you were going to say, you can say to me."

"No, it isn't anything like that. I just told Piper something that I need to discuss with you as well. Something that the Elders told me, and quite frankly I think it's a good idea," Leo said, speaking in code as always.

"Which is?" Prue asked, looking from Leo to Piper, waiting for an answer.

Piper spoke up before Leo could, and it was obvious by Piper's stance that it was something she didn't quite agree with. "The Elders think that Paige should move into the manor."

Prue stared at her younger sister, waiting for some huge bombshell that would explain to her why Piper thought this was such a bad idea.

"And?" Prue asked after a while.

Piper looked at Prue incredulously. "What do you mean 'and?' Don't you think it's a little too soon for her to be moving in?"

"Not really. I mean, she is a Charmed One and we're the strongest when we're here together."

"I agree, but looking at it from a sister aspect..." Piper's voice trailed off and she looked to her feet.

Prue's heart went out to her younger sister. They both had been through so much these past couple of days. It all felt like one giant emotional roller coaster. "I know. It feels like we're completely throwing Phoebe out of our lives, but it's a sacrifice we need to make if we expect to bring her out of the dark. And besides that, Paige is our sister too, and I think it's about time we started to accept her as one."

Piper avoided Prue and turned instead to Leo. I'm not saying that I don't want Paige to live here because I do. And I love her, too. I mean, she's my sister and everything. But...it just seems a little premature to ask her to move in with us. What do yo think, Leo?"

Leo looked at them helplessly, and Prue felt sorry for them to have put him in the middle again. "I think that this has nothing to do with me and everything to do with you guys. You need to work this out for yourselves."

Prue nodded, knowing he would say that. Piper looked annoyed.

"Okay, but could you at least give us a hint? You know, what you _think _we should do?" she asked.

Leo smiled lovingly and put his hands on Piper's shoulders. "I think that you know that in order for you guys to be as strong as you were when Phoebe was still a Charmed One, you need to have a strong sisterly bond. And the only way you're going to get that is if you get to know Paige better."

Piper nodded. "Well, then I guess we ought to give Paige a call."

Leo leaned in to kiss Piper's cheek, and Prue turned away, wanting to give them privacy without completely leaving the room. She and Piper still needed to talk.

They pulled away a second later and Leo orbed away, presumably back up to the Elders. Piper crossed her arms and turned to Prue, and at that moment Prue could see just how lost and confused Piper must've been feeling.

"What are we supposed to do with her stuff?" Piper asked, and Prue didn't have to ask to know who her sister was referring to.

"We can put it in the attic, at least until we can think of something better to do with it," Prue replied.

She could see tears forming in Piper's eyes, and Prue went over to hug her. "This doesn't mean that we're disowning Phoebe. We're just doing the sensible thing. If our roles were reversed, Phoebe wouldn't hesitate to do the same thing."

"I know that, but it doesn't make it any easier. I know I was all gung-ho on casting Phoebe out of our lives earlier, but i didn't mean it. She's our sister, Prue, and I just feel like..."

Prue stared at her gently. "Feel like what, sweetie?"

Piper sighed, looking as though fresh tears were about to spill. "I just feel like the more we push Phoebe away, the deeper into the Underworld she goes. Like we're the ones to blame for this."

"No, Piper. Don't you say that. This isn't our fault, this isn't Phoebe's fault. This is Cole's fault. We've been over this before. We can't blame ourselves," Prue reminded her at once.

"That doesn't make it any less hard. I mean, she's been with us our entire lives, and having Paige move in feels like we're throwing her out. Sort of like we're sending a message to her. 'Stay away, we don't want you here anymore.' And what if that's how she sees it?"

Prue smiled weakly. "I can see where you're coming from. But we won't let that happen. Should we get into touch with Phoebe again, we'll make it quite clear to her that she is still welcome here. You know, once she's good again."

Piper seemed to consider this. "I know. Why don't I call Paige?"

Prue stepped aside to let Piper pass and decided to pay a visit to her evil sister's bedroom.

* * *

When Phoebe entered the Underworld later that day, spell in hand, she had the feeling that Cole was up to something. Something he didn't want her to know about.

A couple of demons that were passing by bowed in respect to her, but she stepped in front of them before they could walk away.

"Where's my husband?" Phoebe demanded.

They looked taken aback by the question, and Phoebe snapped her fingers with impatience. "Hello? I'm talking to you! My husband, Cole Turner, also known as the Source?"

The first demon gulped. He looked up, purposefully avoiding making eye contact. "He's in the lair, my queen. In a meeting."

"A meeting? With who?" Phoebe asked, although the last question was more to herself than to the demons kneeling before her.

"I...I think with the faction leaders, my queen," the second demon said, his eyes glued to his shoes.

Frowning, Phoebe brushed past them and headed down the all-too familiar path to the Source's lair. It wasn't too far, luckily. Just a pain to have to chase down her husband when he had important business with her to discuss.

Phoebe didn't understand why he was down here when it had been his idea to find a way to ensure they wouldn't be torn apart my magic in the first place. While she hadn't been too worried that her sisters would give them a magical divorce, she had to admit that it would be pretty naive if they didn't at least consider it.

When she stomped into the lair, she saw Cole standing before many demons Phoebe thought she had vanquished with her sisters as a Charmed One. Cole hadn't seen her arrive, and she watched for a second, trying to figure out what they were talking about.

"You're all dismissed." Cole's professional voice ended the meeting, and the various demons shimmered out, leaving Cole and Phoebe alone.

"Ah, Phoebe. Just in time," Cole said warmly, walking over to his wife and smiling at her.

"Just in time for what?"

Cole indicated the piece of paper clutched in Phoebe's hand. "You're planning on getting the Book of Shadows, right?"

Phoebe regarded the paper and Cole. "Since when are you so excited to try something you think won't work?"

"Since I've figured out that it's going to work."

Phoebe smiled. "Really? Why the change of heart?"

Cole shrugged, touching his fingertips together. "Just a feeling. A really good feeling. Are you ready?"

Phoebe let out a high-pitched squeal and wrapped her arm around his.

She let him envelope her in the feeling of being shimmered, and a moment later they were in the attic of the manor.

When they got there, they noticed that the place was empty. She crept silently to the door.

"Phoebe, what are you doing?" Cole asked as he looked around the attic. "It's been forever since I've been up here."

"Shh! I'm trying to hear that they're talking about!" Phoebe hissed.

"Who?" Cole asked as he went to join his wife by the door.

"My sisters. It sounds like they're arguing about something."

"Since when do you care?"

Phoebe shrugged. "I don't...It's just that in a strange way I feel connected to my sisters."

She was glad that Cole didn't say anything about how she and her sisters were now estranged and that technically they were enemies now that they were on different sides. No matter how evil she became and how hard they would fight to get her back, it was nice to hear that some things, like bickering sisters, would never change.

After a while Phoebe walked away. "Alright, let's do this. It's now or never."

She unwrapped the paper she held and began to read out loud:

'_Book of Shadows, mystical and fine,_

_Come to me so I may find_

_A way to be, no matter what,_

_With my love, the one I sought.'_

As Phoebe had expected, the magical tone glowed bright yellow and jumped into her outstretched arms.

At that moment the door burst open, and Phoebe turned to find Prue, Piper, and Paige staring at her and Cole, their mouths hanging wide open.

"Busted," Phoebe murmured silently to herself.


	16. Unresolved Issues

A/N: Sorry for taking so long to update. Between school and work I have been really busy. Also, sorry for the short chapter. As you'll find, this chapter is sort of a filler, but VERY important to the plot, so please don't skip it. And don't forget to review!

Thanks to **mclaughlin, Cole+ Phoebe = Love Forever, Angelspot, PhoebeColefan, Shadow Cat17, Draco's-Loyal-Longing, **and** lizardmomma **for reviewing. I really appreciate it!

* * *

_Chapter Sixteen_

"What the hell are you doing?" Prue demanded, sounding irritated. Piper didn't look at her, but she was concerned. Her older sister sounded tired, like she didn't want to fight. Piper could understand that, but Phoebe had the Book of Shadows.

Across from them, Phoebe gave them her innocent look. "Just taking what's rightfully mine," she answered sweetly.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Paige asked, looking from Phoebe to Prue and Piper.

"I mean exactly that." Phoebe turned to Prue and Piper. "She isn't the new brains of the operation, is she?"

"Phoebe, that's enough. Just put the book down and leave. Before we have to use force," Prue answered, sounding even more tired than she did a second ago.

Phoebe cocked her head slightly and gave Prue a mischievous smile. "But I can't. I can't just leave this laying around so that you girls can get ideas."

"We weren't getting any ideas, okay? That book is an extension of the Charmed Ones, and like it or not, you aren't a Charmed One anymore!" Piper exclaimed, and it took all her self control not to go up to her younger sister and slap her.

But Phoebe didn't look perturbed. "I hate to tell you this, but if it weren't _for _me then you wouldn't be the Charmed Ones at _all. _You wouldn't have even known the Charmed Ones _existed _if it weren't for me, so I think I have dibs on getting the Book of Shadows."

Piper's jaw dropped in outrage. Beside her, she could sense that Prue just did the same thing. "That's not fair, Phoebe. First of all, _you_ didn't know what the Charmed Ones did any more than we did. We all would have eventually gone up to the attic, if not the same night you did than the day after. It was inevitable that one of us would have found the book. Just because you happened to get there first doesn't mean that you have some kind of magical claim on it. That book belongs in our family, not laying around somewhere in some cave down in the Underworld!"

"If that's what you want to keep telling yourself, dear." Phoebe moved to stand closer to Cole, who had been silent so far, watching the heated argument with measured amusement. "But, if I remember correctly, you and Prue didn't want to believe that anything strange was happening that night. In fact, you guys were the ones who told me not to go up to the attic at all. You were both so convinced that I was playing some elaborate joke on you."

"Pheebs, that's not true and you know it," Prue insisted, her eyes filled with emotion at her sister's words.

"Oh would you stop kidding yourselves?!" Phoebe exclaimed incredulously. Piper had the sense that Phoebe had just been waiting for the right moment to bring these inner feelings to the surface. "You especially, Prue! I remember what you thought of me before I came back that night! It literally took you seeing yourself use your power for you to even consider the thought that we were witches because me telling you wasn't enough! You two never listened to me, not when we were kids not then, and not now!"

Prue scoffed. "Like you wouldn't have done the same thing if it had been me who found the book first! Don't act all self-righteous. Like we treated you like some kind of inferior! 'Oh my name is Phoebe and no one ever understood me!'" she cried sarcastically.

Phoebe glowered at Prue, and even Piper had to stop and consider what was taking place here. After all this time, her two full sisters were _finally _working out their differences, even if it was four years later and under ridiculous circumstances. She glanced at Paige, and could see that, even though her half-sister had no idea what was occurring, she knew it had to happen in order for any of them to move on.

"I never acted like that. But you never listened to me or believed me. I told you nothing happened with Roger. He was the one who came on to me, but of course you believed him because he was your fiance! You never even stopped and took the time to get my side of the story. Do you have any idea how much that hurt, Prue?" Phoebe asked, and for the first time in a long time, Piper could see the old Phoebe.

Prue sighed, struggling to keep her voice down. "It's not like you gave me a choice, Phoebe. Back then you weren't the most responsible person in the world. And I tried to get your side of the story, remember? But you acted exactly like you're acting now. You were so mad that I had to even ask you what happened at all! 'I'm your sister, Prue, you should already know that nothing happened!'"

"That is _so _not true. I did not say that. I only said that you should know that I would never do anything to come in between you and your fiance. I was upset because you thought so little of me." Phoebe paused to take a deep breath and to look at Prue, her eyes full of hurt. "I can see now that nothing has changed."

Piper watched helplessly as Phoebe put her hand into Cole's and looked up at him. "There's nothing left for us here. Let's go home."

And just like that, they were gone.

* * *

Prue turned to Piper and Paige, not believing what had just taken place. "What the hell was that? Since when did arguing over her stealing the Book of Shadows result in us talking about _Roger _of all people?"

Piper could only shrug and lead her older sister to their Aunt Pearl's couch. Once they were all seated together Piper absent-mindedly pulled a strand of Prue's long black hair out of her face. "We all know that Roger was sort of a taboo subject. You two never really dealt with that particular issue."

"Wait a second. Who is Roger?" Paige spoke up, looking genuinely confused.

"Prue's old fiance. They were engaged about five years ago but she called off the wedding when she found out he was hitting on Phoebe," Piper explained before Prue could come up with some lie to tell Paige.

"Oh," Paige muttered, clearly unnerved about not knowing that.

"It wasn't just Phoebe, Piper. There were other women who he thought he was entitled to. Like us getting married meant nothing. But still, I don't understand how Phoebe still has issues about that. I thought we cleared that up years ago!" she exclaimed.

Piper laid a hand on her shoulder. "Maybe you did, but that doesn't mean that Phoebe doesn't still feel bad about it."

"But she's evil now. Doesn't she have more pressing concerns? Like which innocent to kill next?" Prue spat bitterly.

"Come on, Prue. Phoebe would never knowingly let an innocent die, Queen of the Underworld or not."

Prue turned to give Piper a hard look. "Since when are you on Phoebe's side?"

"Since I saw remnants of the old Phoebe just now. She's struggling, Prue. If we were going to try out our Save Cole Theory, we should do it now before it's too late to save her," Piper explained earnestly.

"But how? In case you've forgotten, Phoebe just took the Book of Shadows," Paige pointed out unnecessarily.

Prue and Piper exchanged an amused glance. "It's time you learned, Paige, that you don't always need the Book to know what to do next."

And with that they went downstairs and headed for the kitchen to prepare a potion that, hopefully, would help them gain the upper hand once again.

* * *

"I can't believe you got the Book of Shadows!" Cole exclaimed happily once they were back in the penthouse.

Phoebe gave him a small half-smile before turning her attention to the massive green tome in her hands. "Yeah. It's sort of an empty feeling, though."

"What do you mean? We got what we came for. We got the book." Then realization hit him hard like a knife. "Is it what you and Prue were fighting about?"

Phoebe nodded, not expecting tears start to spill.

"Oh baby, come here." Cole wrapped his arms around Phoebe both protectively and comfortingly. Phoebe let him, too tired to pull away. She was glad she didn't once she felt his arms around her body. She hadn't known just how much she needed this.

"They're in denial, you know? They act like they completely embraced being Charmed Ones and that I'm expendable! I was the one who had to convince them they were witches. Did you know that? I was the first one to find the book. I read that incantation by myself. Even if they had come up to the attic with me, they would never have read along with me. But they're acting like they would have, and I'm just so sick of their lies!" she cried.

"I believe you. But that's not all that's bothering you, is it?" Cole asked knowingly.

Phoebe considered lying to him. Maybe he'd believe her, or just let it go because she was so distraught. She no longer had any energy, and she wasn't up for another heartfelt confession. One was enough for the day.

"No, but I really don't want to talk about it," she murmured, rubbing her eyes with his jacket.

"But Phoebe, if it helps you..."

"I said no, Cole. Okay? Just drop it!" she snapped, then immediately regretted it. Yelling at him, not her choice of words.

Cole nodded at once. "All right. Just figured that maybe you would want some understanding. You don't have to be alone in this, you know."

"I know, and I'm not. But you don't have to hear my innermost feelings to be on my side, do you?"

"No. Of course not." He let go of her and gave her time to collect herself before saying, "What you need is a distraction."

"What kind of distraction?" she asked, looking up into his eyes.

Cole wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. "You'll see."

Later that night Phoebe was dressed in a short red dress, her wavy dark hair down with a red rose decorating it. She and Cole were dancing in an upper-class club. Phoebe had never been there before since she and her sisters had only been to P3 for obvious reasons.

But now, being at this place called Nightwish, she had to admit that she had been missing out till now. Not that she would've ever been able to afford to get in here since it was where the rich and famous San Franciscans partied all night, but still. It was nice to see how the other half lived, especially since she and Cole were considered part of their society now.

All the latest songs were playing. Cole and Phoebe had been dancing all night, not wanting to stop. They had quickly become the center of attention with both their appearances, attitudes, and dance moves.

_At least now I know that Cole _can_ dance despite what he told me at that club last year, _Phoebe thought to herself upon seeing Cole sway his hips in time with hers.

When the song stopped the by-standers applauded their dance. Once the next song came on Cole took Phoebe's hand in preparation for the next dance, but Phoebe pulled away gently.

"Why don't we get something to drink?" she yelled over the music.

He nodded once, almost looking relieved, and led her off the dance floor. They managed to find an empty table near the corner closest to the door. Phoebe sat down and Cole silently headed to the bar, no need to ask her what she wanted to drink.

Phoebe rested her head on the wall, not realizing how tired she was until she was off her feet. Three guys and three annoyed rejections later Cole returned with a mineral water for Phoebe and a beer for himself.

"So is it working?" Cole asked, and Phoebe struggled to hear him over the blaring music.

"Is what working?"

"My distraction. Are you having a good time?" he yelled, taking a sip of his beer.

"The best! Thank you. I needed this," she answered, and found she meant every word.

Cole smiled, genuinely pleased. "I'm glad. You needed a break after all the time we've spent down in the Underworld. I know I've been working a lot lately, but I promise that should all lighten up soon. And once we figure out a way to stay together and not be torn apart by magic of any kind we'll feel much better."

"Probably. But it feels more than that."

Cole frowned. "What do you mean?"

"I-I don't really know how to explain it. It just feels like...lately I've been sort of experiencing these mood swings," Phoebe said, doing her best to explain what she had been feeling. She hadn't told Cole before because she wasn't sure how he would take it. She was afraid that he might just write it off as that time of the month, but Phoebe wasn't so sure.

To her surprise he looked concerned and not dismissive. "Should we be worried?"

"I don't know. I don't think so. I think my hormones are just out wack. Probably not anything to be overly-concerned about."

Cole opened his mouth, about to say something but seemed to stop himself at the last minute.

"What?" Phoebe asked, wanting him to say whatever he was about to say.

"I just...do you think it has anything to do with the other night?" he asked, sounding hopeful.

Phoebe frowned, taken aback. Never once had she considered that as a possibility, and to be honest she was afraid to even nurture the idea. That was why she said, "No, I don't think so. It's too soon to tell."

Cole nodded at once, but looked somewhat disappointed. Phoebe almost felt guilty for quashing his hope.

Almost.

"Look, can we talk about something else, please? All this talk of my sisters and...other things...is getting me depressed again. Can't we just enjoy ourselves and worry about all this tomorrow?" Phoebe asked desperately.

"Of course. This is all for you. I just thought you might want to..."

"Cole, all I want to do is have a good time and forget about my sisters, about magic, about the Underworld. About all of it. That's why you brought me here isn't it?"

"Yes. I'm sorry."

Phoebe felt guilty for snapping at him again. He was just trying to help and she was yelling at him because of it. But that last encounter had thrown her for a loop. They hadn't even fought her for the book. They just tried to talk her out of it, and when it hadn't worked, they had watched her and Cole shimmer away. It was like it wasn't even worth the fight.

Since when did the Charmed Ones not fight to keep their book in the house? That had always been a nagging concern at the back of her mind. Did they think in some twisted sense, that she wouldn't do anything to it?

Well, they were right about that, as much as it pained her to admit it to herself. The Book of Shadows was a part of her history.

"So what do you say? Are you up for another dance?" Cole asked after a while. He had finished his beer and Phoebe was almost done with her water.

Phoebe nodded, abandoning the water on the table. "Come on."

This time she led Cole to the dance floor, and the others watched in anticipation to see what move they were going to do next. No one danced while they did since they were attracting too much attention. Phoebe savored the attention, feeling good to find a connection between her new life and her previous one. It was nice to see that, no matter what happened, some things would never change.


	17. A Matter Of Trust

A/N: Thanks to **funluvr151, lizardmomma, Rocky, thaatgirrl, Shadow Cat17, Cole + Phoebe = Love Forever, Draco's-Loyal-Longing, **and** Angelspot **for reviewing. Sorry I'm not reviewing individually yet again, but I've just been so pressed for time lately. Glad you all still like the story. Sorry it took me so long to update, but I hope you like this next chapter.

* * *

_Chapter Seventeen_

By the end of the week Paige was moved into the manor, and she had mixed feelings about it. On the one hand, she was glad that her sisters had finally accepted her and asked her to move in. But another, stronger part of her felt as though she were betraying Phoebe. She felt as though she, Prue, and Piper had completely thrown Phoebe out, and that didn't sit well with Paige.

She knew this was ridiculous because that was one of the first things Piper had assured her when she asked her to move in. _You aren't taking the place of Phoebe, this is just a necessary step in truly becoming a Charmed One. _

Paige didn't feel so reassured. It almost seemed as though they were at war with Phoebe and this was just a way to get under Phoebe's skin.

But, no matter what the reasons were behind the move, the end result was Phoebe's things boxed up in the attic and Paige's things taking their place.

When Paige woke up on Monday morning, the first thing she noticed was Prue and Piper's raised voices. They were arguing about something. Again.

Sighing, Paige threw the covers off her and threw on her robe, trying desperately to get the sleep out of her eyes. She started downstairs, and as she did so she noticed her sisters' voices were coming from the kitchen.

"...I'm just saying I think we should come up with a plan for getting the Book back!" Piper was saying very heatedly.

"How many times do I have to tell you that we can't risk it? Phoebe will be expecting us to come after it. She's probably already had her legions of demons set a trap for us by now!" Prue snapped.

They both sounded as though they had been arguing for quite some time. Paige decided to make a decent entrance and pretend she hadn't heard anything. To her surprise and annoyance, Prue and Piper stopped talking when Paige entered.

"Hey, Paige." They both plastered on fake smiles, trying to cover up the fact that they had just been arguing, but Paige wasn't going to let them get away with it.

"So, what are you fighting about, girls?" she demanded.

Prue and Piper glanced at each other before answering. "Nothing. Nothing important, anyway?"

Paige gave them a disbelieving look. "Since when is the Book of Shadows nothing?"

"You heard?" Piper asked, her smile disappearing.

Paige nodded. "Yeah, and I can't figure out what bothers me more. The fact that you guys are fighting over it, or the fact that you haven't included me."

Prue and Piper exchanged guilty looks. Prue spoke up first. "We didn't think it was anything for you to worry about. I mean, it's not like a demon stole the book."

"No, it was just our evil, Queen of the Underworld sister. I'd say it's in _great _hands," Paige replied sarcastically, sitting down at the kitchen table.

Her older sisters joined her. "This is why we didn't want to get you involved. And please don't take this the wrong way, but you don't know Phoebe like we do. She didn't steal the Book of Shadows to use it against us. She needed it for something, and when she gets what she wants, she'll return it," Prue explained, earning incredulous looks from both Piper and Paige.

Prue looked at them, not looking as though she understood their disbelief. "What?"

"Prue, don't you think it's a little naive to think that Phoebe will actually give us back the book once she's done? She has this special connection with it. She's had it ever since she said that incantation so we could receive our powers. She's not going to give it back willingly," Piper said, and Paige knew that their argument was starting up again.

"But Piper, Phoebe's smart enough not to let her pride get in the way of her smarts. She's not going to risk keeping the book down in the Underworld where swarms of demons will be making hourly attempts at stealing it," Prue insisted.

"But what makes you guys think that Phoebe and Cole even _live _in the Underworld?" Paige interrupted suddenly.

Prue and Piper gaped at her. "I don't know, Paige, maybe the fact that they're the _rulers _of the Underworld!"

But Paige wasn't listening. "Prue, you said it yourself. She wouldn't risk keeping the Book of Shadows down in the Underworld with all those demons. And Piper, don't you think that if she actually lived in the Underworld, she wouldn't have stolen the book in the first place?"

"What are you getting at?" Prue asked, crossing her arms.

"I'm saying that I don't think Phoebe and Cole live in the Underworld. I think they live somewhere else, somewhere far away from the Underworld."

Paige waited for her sisters to see the logic in this explanation.

"It makes sense, I guess. Hiding out in plain sight," Piper began.

"And different. I mean, they're human still, and humans generally live _above_ ground," Prue finished.

"But that doesn't change anything," Piper went on. "It doesn't mean that the book is any safer. Just because they live above ground doesn't mean that there aren't still demons shimmering in and out. Cole is the Source, after all."

"Piper, the Book of Shadows protects itself against evil," Prue pointed out obviously.

"That didn't stop Phoebe from getting it," Piper argued.

"Well, she must've said a spell or something. Look Piper, I don't like this any more than you do, but we have to face it. Phoebe has the book, and until she gets what she wants from it, we aren't going to get it back. She's going to be expecting us to come for it, and when we don't, she might realize that we trust her with it. She might even give it back," Prue explained.

Piper snorted in disbelief. "Yeah, right. Just don't come crying to me when you realize that you're wrong."

And with that, Piper left the room, leaving Prue and Paige alone, wondering if maybe they were giving Phoebe too much credit.

* * *

When Phoebe woke up Monday morning, the first thing she noticed was that the Book of Shadows was gone.

She shot up from bed, not bothering to make it in her growing panic. She threw open the bedroom door.

"Cole! The Book of Shadows is..."

She let the sentence hang when she saw Cole crouched in front of the kitchen table, looking as though he was about to sneak up on a sleeping animal. Across from him, the Book of Shadows was laying on the floor. Phoebe had the impression that they were both trying to get the best of each other.

Amused, she sat down on the sofa and watched as Cole sprang for the book, and the book glowed bright yellow and jumped out of his reach.

"Damn it!" Cole exclaimed, slamming his fist on the table in frustration.

Phoebe couldn't help it; she let out a snicker, causing Cole to whip around to face her.

"Phoebe. I, uh, didn't see you there," he said, giving up his attempts at touching the book and going to sit beside her.

"Obviously," Phoebe replied. She stood up as Cole sat down and bent down to pick up the large green magical tome. It let her, and Phoebe couldn't help but feel a small surge of satisfaction.

"Well, obviously your little spell only worked on you," Cole said, leaning down to catch his breath.

"It was only meant for me. I wrote it in the first person." Phoebe didn't want to say that she had intentionally written it that way.

But Cole wasn't fooled. "You didn't trust me enough to let it work for me as well?"

Phoebe closed her eyes, really not wanting to get into this particular conversation. "It's nothing personal. But I'm trying to make a point to my sisters. I'm trying to tell them that the book is safe with me. If I wrote a spell that would allow the Source to touch it...that might cause some problems."

This was the understatement of the year, but she hoped Cole would leave it at that. Luckily he did, and went into the kitchen.

"I'm making scrambled eggs. Want some?" he called.

"Sure," she replied, breathing a small sigh of relief now that he wasn't in sight and tried to calm her heart down, which was still beating madly in her chest from thinking that a demon had stolen the Book of Shadows. She opened it and flipped through the pages, trying to see if anything was missing. Of course nothing was since Cole hadn't been able to even lay a finger on the cover, but she thought it better to be safe than sorry.

"So, are you going to look through that thing to find a spell to not let outside magic interfere with us?" Cole asked from the kitchen.

Phoebe shrugged, then realized he couldn't see her and called, "After breakfast!"

Truth was, she wasn't really in the mood to do anything he asked after finding him attempting to get the Book of Shadows. It wasn't like she didn't trust him; she guessed old habits just died hard.

Neither Cole or Phoebe said anything else as he finished making breakfast. Phoebe continued to look through the book, wondering which demons her sisters had vanquished without her. There was no way of knowing, of course, but she couldn't help but think about it. Maybe there was some spell she could cast that would allow the book to magically show her.

But then she shook her head. What did it matter if she knew which demons they vanquished or went up against? It wasn't like she was a Charmed One anymore. She wasn't, therefore their vanquishes no longer concerned her. That didn't mean she didn't feel a small stab of betrayal.

_Get a grip, Phoebe, _she ordered herself. _You chose to be with Cole. What they do isn't your business, and the sooner you let them go the sooner you'll be happy again. _

She imagined this was exactly what Cole would tell her if she expressed these concerns to him. This is what _anyone_ would tell her, even her sisters. Though maybe not in so many words. They'd kick her to the curb, telling her that she made her bed and now she had to sleep in it. God she hated that saying.

She hoped that the book might give her a third option. A way to make a truce to her sisters without betraying Cole.

Only she wasn't going to tell him that. She wasn't sure how he would react to that. He had barely held it together when he found out her sisters had summoned her against her will. And she didn't know if she ever would. At least until it was too late for him to do anything about it.

Phoebe was about to go through the book one more time when Cole reappeared, two plates in his hand.

"I wasn't sure what you wanted with, so I fixed some toast. The coffee is being made, so that'll be ready in a couple minutes," he said, placing the plates on the table.

Phoebe pushed the book to the side and stood up, joining him at the table. He had made scrambled eggs, buttered toast, and some fruit. She sat down at her place and waited while Cole went back into the kitchen to get the coffee.

She found it a little strange that Cole was playing house all of a sudden. Back before they had met, she knew that he had been a full-time demon. It was hard for her to imagine him fixing breakfast and making small talk. But then again, he was a changed man.

He returned with two steaming mugs of coffee, setting one down in front of her. Then he sat down across from her and picked up his fork, but stopped when he noticed that Phoebe wasn't moving.

"Is everything all right?" he asked.

Phoebe looked up. "What?"

Cole frowned. "I asked if everything was all right?" When Phoebe didn't answer right away, he put his fork down and directed his full attention on her. "Are you okay? You seem a little distracted."

Phoebe looked up to meet his gaze. "I'm sorry, honey. I guess I'm still not quite awake yet."

It was an excuse and they both knew it, but neither one wanted her to elaborate any further. Cole nodded as though he understood, but Phoebe knew better. She knew him, and she felt as though she said something to upset him.

To her surprise, she actually felt guilty for telling him that she didn't trust him with the book. Of course she hadn't directly said that, but it had been implied in her explanation. But did he really expect her to think that all he wanted was to touch the book? Maybe on some level that's really what he wanted, but part of him was the Source, and the Source wanted to use that book against the Charmed Ones. And that would be the biggest betrayal in the world.

Phoebe and Cole ate in awkward silence, their thoughts taking the place of an actual conversation. When they were finished Cole took their empty plates to the kitchen.

"Don't worry about the dishes. I'll do them. You just go down to the Underworld and take care of any business you might have," Phoebe said as she joined him in the kitchen to refill her coffee cup.

"Are you sure? I know you like to be down there when I conduct business," Cole said, sounding somewhat hopeful.

Phoebe nodded. "You go. I have some business of my own here, anyway."

"Like..." Cole trailed off, giving her a knowing look.

"Yes. By the time you get back, the only divorce we'll ever get is a legal one," Phoebe said, smiling. She walked up to him and wrapped her arms around his neck. He leaned down so that she was able to. "Nothing will ever tear us apart, Cole."

Cole smiled. "I certainly hope not. See you tonight?"

Phoebe nodded. "I'll be waiting."

Cole gave her a quick peck on the cheek, then shimmered out in that special way that only the Source could.

Phoebe paused for a moment, aware of her husband's presence still all around her. Then she did the dishes that she and Cole had used for breakfast. When she was finished she put them away and went back into the living room.

She sat back down on the sofa and placed the Book of Shadows back on her lap. She wasn't expecting to find a solution to her problems in there, but she flipped through it as if it did. There were so many issues now, so many different ways of looking at things, and she had no idea which way to turn. A part of her wanted to keep fighting, to be on Cole's side completely as she had once been, but after seeing her sisters and the pain she was putting them through, she was beginning to see things differently.

Phoebe was sick of fighting. She was sick of fighting with Cole, with herself, and especially her sisters. There had been a time when she would've rather flayed her skin off than do anything to hurt them. Now it seemed that was all she had been doing lately, and she couldn't believe how guilty that made her feel.

But there was no way she could explain any of this to Cole or her sisters. None of them would understand. They both saw things so black and white that they didn't think there was any room for compromise.

So she kept looking through the Book of Shadows, determined to find some way to get past this, once and for all.


	18. Ghostly Encounters

A/N: I feel so long making you guys wait so long. School has been hectic lately. College assignments can really be brutal, plus my other stories. Anyway, hope you all like!

**PhoebeColefan: **More Phole moments are definitely coming up! Keep reading, and I hope you like this nect chapter.

**Bleu Feenix: **Thanks!Hope you like this chapter.

**lizardmomma: **Thanks, I'm trying write Phoebe being evil as I believe she would've been on the show. I think she would have second guessed herself and gone through this inner torment. Hope you like this next chapter!

**FanficFemale: **Thanks! Me too. I was quite surprised that there weren't more evil Phoebe/Cole stories out here. Anyway, hope you like the next chapter!

**Shadow Cat17: **Thanks, hope you like this one!

**stephanie1994: **Thank you so much, I'm glad you like it! Hope you continue reading and that you enjoy this chapter!

**BellaCullen666: **That's okay. I'm jealous, hope you went somewhere exciting. I would NEVER disappoint a reader and turn Phoebe good. That was never my intention, I'm just giving Phoebe some dimension. This is how I believe she would have been if she had stayed evil longer on the show. Anyway, hope you like this next chapter!

* * *

_Chapter Eighteen_

It seemed as though for the first time in a really long time, the book was finally failing her.

Although Phoebe was evil now, and she knew in her heart that the Book of Shadows could sense that, she had honestly thought that everything would be the same. The book would open to a random page that would help her out with her problems, and she would go along with it even if she didn't see how it would help.

She hadn't expected for everything to be different, despite being different herself.

Of course the only reason she was still able to touch the book in the first place was because of her spell. Otherwise it would be treating her like any demon that had ever attempted to make a play for it. And even though she knew this was the truth, it didn't make it hurt any less.

"Screw this," Phoebe muttered under her breath. If the Book of Shadows wouldn't help her by itself, she would just have to make it help.

The words came from her mouth as though they had been waiting to be spoken aloud.

'_Hear these words, hear the rhyme_

_An answer now I seek to find._

_Send me now a way to be_

_At last in peace and harmony.'_

Phoebe stood up as a swirl of white lights appeared in the center of the living room, and a second later the last person she had ever expected to find there appeared.

And she didn't look happy.

"Grams?"

The old witch stepped outside the circle she had appeared in and became corporeal. "Phoebe! What in the world are you doing?"

Phoebe knew she didn't mean summoning her. She meant what was she doing being Queen of the Underworld with Cole. And Phoebe wasn't sure how she was going to answer.

"Uh..."

Grams rolled her eyes. It was a sign that she was about to become really angry, and Phoebe would know. She'd certainly seen it enough times growing up.

"You wrote a spell to get an answer, right?" she asked impatiently.

Phoebe could only nod.

"Well, this is your spell in action, though obviously not how you intended it. And now you have to accept the consequences of that because I am certainly not going away until you get your answer," Grams interrupted, and began circling Phoebe, her eyes never leaving her own.

"Grams, if you've come here to try to persuade me back to the other side with my sisters, then let me tell you right now that you're wasting your time," Phoebe said agitation beginning to creep its way back into her system.

"Please, Phoebe. Give me a little credit. I'm not here to persuade you back. I just want to know why," Grams replied, her tone softening slightly.

Phoebe sat back down on the couch. "What do you want me to say? That Cole somehow has me brainwashed and now that I'm alone you can take me back to my sisters?"

"Dear, I've been watching. I know you've already seen your sisters, and I know you've made it quite clear to them that you don't have any intention of going back to your dest-"

"Grams, if you say 'destiny' I swear I'll scream. I am so sick of everyone telling me of my destiny, and the Charmed Ones! I've been there, and done that, okay? It wasn't my destiny. _This _is my destiny!" Phoebe exclaimed, gesturing around her.

Grams watched her, looking bemused. "Only because you threw away your old one."

"No. It turned its back on me along with my sisters."

"You turned your back on your destiny, and you know it!" Grams snapped, and went to sit on the sofa beside Phoebe. "I'm not here to preach at you, Phoebe. I know how useless that would be. You are your own woman, but that does not mean that you aren't making the biggest mistake of your life."

"I thought you weren't going to preach," Phoebe mumbled, resting her head in her hands.

Grams smirked. "I'm not. I'm merely stating a fact." Then she relaxed her tone again. "None of this has been easy on you, Phoebe. You and your sisters never had any guidance on being witches, at least not any permanent guidance. You were born in the manor, and since it rests on a spiritual nexus, that makes you more susceptible to evil. But that doesn't mean you have to give in to it."

"I haven't given in to _anything, _Grams! You and my sisters make it seem as though Cole did something to turn me evil, but you haven't even considered the possibility that I chose to be with him with my own free will!" Phoebe threw back.

Grams didn't say anything at first. She seemed to be about to say something she didn't necessarily want to.

"Just answer one question for me. When you chose to be evil all on your own, were you down in the Underworld?" she asked finally, meeting her second-youngest granddaughter square in the eye.

"Yeah," Phoebe started questioningly, wondering what her grandmother was getting at.

"And this was right after you vanquished the old Source, right?"

"So?"

Grams sighed, and she looked as though her greatest concern had just been realized. "I hate to tell you this, dear, but you didn't make that choice as willingly as you think you did."

Phoebe frowned. "Excuse me?" she asked tiredly.

"Well...I don't want to be the one to burst your bubble, but you were under the influence when you made that decision."

Phoebe rolled her eyes. "Under the influence of _what?" _she hissed. She was getting tired of this.

Grams smiled, and it could only be described as one of sympathy. "Of evil."

Phoebe sighed and stood up. She didn't want to be anywhere near Grams anymore, especially when she knew deep in her gut that she was right.

The ghost of Penny Halliwell went on. "Staying down in the Underworld for a long period of time and vanquishing the Source can influence evil all on their own, but when you combine the two...you might have _thought _you were thinking clearly, and maybe on some level you were. But you don't honestly believe that you turned your back on your sisters all on your own, did you?"

"Yeah, actually, I did! I still do. Grams, I love you and everything, but what you're saying makes no sense. Cole and I tried being good up there, but it didn't work. Now that we're the rulers of the Underworld it's working, and you guys can't stand that fact because it means that you just might have to consider that maybe evil is more powerful and understanding than good!" Phoebe exclaimed. It felt good to say this face to face with someone.

Grams looked at her as though she didn't know her at all. "You don't mean that."

"Don't I? At least down here we're accepted. If demons and warlocks can accept a former Charmed One as their queen, why couldn't you and my sisters accept Cole when he was trying to be good?" she asked.

"Because he was a powerful demon, Phoebe, and he had an agenda. And even though it didn't exactly work out the way he might have wanted it to, in the end he got what he wanted. The Charmed Ones split up. And the demons and warlocks who supposedly accept you as their queen only do so because the Source has threatened to vanquish them if they don't. But trust me. When they see an opening to go after you, don't think they wouldn't go after it. It's only a matter of time before they betray you. You might want to think about that before it's too late."

"Too late for what?" Phoebe asked through gritted teeth.

"For your sisters to forgive you. They've reconstituted the Charmed Ones, so they don't really need you for that anymore. But they're trying to save you because you're their sister, but do you really think they'll just keep trying to find a way to save you for the rest of their lives? Sooner or later they'll come to the point where they'll think it is a hopeless case, and they'll disown you. Is that what you want?" Grams continued.

She knew she was hitting a nerve, but Phoebe needed to hear it. And Phoebe knew it, too. So she went on to drive the point home.

"I'm not saying to leave Cole and run back to them. As much as I'd love to see that, I think that you need to find a balance between Cole and your sisters. That doesn't mean act as spy; that doesn't mean hide what you're doing from both of them. You don't even have to relinquish your evil crown. You just have to come to a truce. That way you'll no longer have to split yourself in two agonizing over this, and your sisters won't resort to desperate measures in getting you back," Grams explained.

As Phoebe heard these words, she couldn't help but see the truth in this.

Grams smiled, and this time it was a genuine one. "It hurts me to say this, but you don't have to be a powerful force for good to be a Halliwell. And now you have your answer."

Grams was gone a second later in a swirl of bright white lights.

"Thanks, Grams," Phoebe whispered to the empty room.

* * *

Piper needed to see a shrink. She felt as if she were going crazy.

She had realized something about herself after Phoebe had stolen the Book of Shadows and Prue and Paige were going about their everyday lives as though nothing as amiss.

She had some serious attachment issues.

Though one could argue that they didn't just keep that book for sentimental value. It was an imperative source of information when they went up against demons and warlocks they had no clue about. While Prue wasn't worried since there were hardly any demons coming after them now, Piper wasn't convinced. She felt like she was walking on a tightrope without a net.

Both Prue and Paige were at their jobs, but Piper hadn't even had the strength to get out of bed. She was laying in her and Leo's queen-sized four poster and stared up at the ceiling. If a demon were to attack, she'd be no match for them. She barely had the strength to breathe. Lifting her arms or speaking would prove to be downright impossible.

Piper didn't even have the strength to hate Phoebe. At least not at the moment. She felt nothing at all. She was on pause.

She also happened to alone in the house. Leo was off on official whitelighter business, and she didn't think he would appreciate it if she called to him to get her a bagel from the kitchen.

So, with a lot of grunting and complaining to no one, Piper crawled out of bed, not bothering to put her robe on. It didn't matter since no one else was in the house.

She shuffled downstairs to the kitchen and got her bagel. Then she went to the attic, though she wasn't exactly sure why. But her feet had a mind of their own at the moment, and it wasn't as if she had anything better to do.

Piper found the boxes simply labeled, 'Phoebe' and found herself kneeling beside them. Prue had been the one to box their younger sister's things and put them in the attic since Piper hadn't had the heart to do it herself. But now she was curious to see what Phoebe had left behind.

As Piper was pulling open the first box, an unexpected form appeared in front of her.

"Hello, Piper."

Piper looked up to find Grams standing before her, smiling down at her.

"Hi. What are you doing here? We didn't summon you," Piper pointed out obviously.

"I know. I wanted to see how you were doing," she said, moving to stand closer to her granddaughter.

Piper closed her eyes, somehow wishing she could block out the events of the last couple of weeks.

"Do you want me to lie to you, or do you want the truth?"

"That bad, huh?" Grams laughed softly.

"I just..." Piper shook her head, suddenly very grateful that Grams was with her. "I feel like a failure as a sister."

Grams didn't look as though she'd been expecting that answer. "Oh Piper, how can you say that?"

Piper laughed bitterly. "It's quite easy to do if it's the truth."

"You didn't fail Phoebe. Phoebe failed herself. None of this is because of you, Prue, or Paige," Grams said, moving to stroke Piper's back. She moved a stray hair behind her ear.

"Then why do I feel this way, Grams? Phoebe has so much anger in her, and she's directing it at us. Why else would she do that if not for us failing her? I keep thinking that maybe if we hadn't ganged up on her so much, or if we had listened to her more that maybe things would have turned out differently," Piper confessed.

"No one could have predicted the path that Phoebe would go down. Especially you. You were always the one who get through to her the most," Grams pointed out.

"Yeah. Always the mediator," Piper muttered.

"No, darling. You were, and still are, so much more than that. Your sisters look to you for so much. You carry so much weight on your shoulders, and it's not fair."

"Is that why you came here? To help me feel better about myself?"

Grams shook her head. "I know you're feeling lost. And before you beat yourself up any more than you already have, I wanted to let you in on a little secret."

Piper perked up in spite of herself. "What?"

"Phoebe's feeling just as lost as you do."

Piper furrowed her brow in confusion. "You've seen Phoebe?"

Grams nodded. "I just came from a little heart-to-heart with her. She's at a turning point in her life and is in desperate need of some guidance."

"Did you tell her to go see the demonic shrinks? Because if that's how she feels, she certainly doesn't show it," Piper said dryly, a little disappointed by the choice of secrets Grams had decided to divulge.

Grams gave her a pointed look. "Since when has Phoebe ever been one to wear her emotions on her sleeve?"

She had a point there.

"Go talk to her. It may seem pointless now, but I promise you it will be for the best," Grams went on. She backed away to the spot that she had reappeared in.

Before Piper could object any further, Grams smiled at her and met her in the eye.

"She misses you, too."


	19. Civil Conversation

A/N: So sorry for not updating sooner. I didn't mean to leave you guys hanging, but school work has just been insane.

**FanficFemale: **Yes, you're never too old for advice from family. Glad you liked it, hope you like this chapter!

**Shadow Cat17: **Thanks. Hope you like this chapter!

**stephanie1994: **You'll just have to read and find out! Lol. Hope you like the next chaper!

**lizardmomma: **Yes, it's true. I always liked Grams in the show. Glad you liked it, hope you like this chapter!

**Charmed4Life322: **Thank you so much! I would never break up Phoebe and Cole. That was one of the things on the show that I hated. Hope you like this chapter!

* * *

_Chapter Nineteen_

'_What am I doing here?' _Piper thought for the millionth time that day.

It had been a week since Grams had appeared in the attic and gave her a heart-to-heart. Piper hadn't told Prue, Paige, or even Leo about it. She wasn't sure why. It just didn't seem right. Almost as though she would be doing Phoebe a great injustice by doing so.

Of course that made no sense either. Grams had said she'd gone to see Phoebe. Phoebe was feeling the same way as Piper was, so what was the big secret? Piper didn't know.

And so that was how she found herself standing just outside Phoebe and Cole's apartment, working up the nerve to knock on the door. A million questions were forming in her head, and Piper was no longer sure this was a good idea. What if Phoebe didn't take kindly to her arrival? Would she kidnap her and drag her to the Underworld where Cole and all his minions would torture her and eventually kill her? That was ridiculous. Phoebe would never allow that to happen.

She hoped.

Piper suddenly wished that she had told _someone _where she was going. At least that way if she mysteriously went missing, everyone would know where to look. Knowing it was too late to do anything about it, Piper closed her eyes and silently willed herself to raise her arm and knock on the door.

At first she thought the knock on the door had come from the inside, and her eyes flew open, thinking that Phoebe had found her standing outside. But when she saw the door firmly closed, she knew that she had been the source of the knocking.

A second later the door flew open, and Phoebe stood behind it, her dark hair up in a messy bun. She was wearing some sort of silk robe that only went to her thighs. Even at the early hour, her eyes were rimmed with eyeliner, and Piper could detect the subtle hints of foundation.

When Phoebe realized who her visitor was, her expression softened slightly.

"Piper. What are you doing here?" she asked.

Despite having prepared herself for an encounter, Piper was caught off guard. She stared at her younger sister and tried to find some remnants of the lost sister Grams had described last week.

"I, uh," Piper began lamely. "I...just thought I'd drop by."

"Right." Phoebe stared disbelievingly at her older sister, and looked as though she were about to slam the door shut in her face. But to Piper's surprise Phoebe opened the door wider so that she could enter. "Come in."

Piper did her best to hide her surprise, but she could tell Phoebe wasn't fooled. She stepped inside and was immediately blown away by how pristine and valuable it was. Everything looked as though it cost more than five grand.

"I didn't know being the rulers of the Underworld paid so well," Piper said under her breath.

"Yeah well, innocents leave their things behind when they die. It's best not to let them go to waste, don't you think?" Phoebe replied from behind her.

Piper whirled around to face her. "That isn't funny."

Phoebe let out a soft laugh. "I was kidding, Piper."

Phoebe didn't offer any other explanation for her expensive apartment, and Piper wasn't about to ask.

"So...want anything to drink?" Phoebe offered after a brief awkward silence.

"Yeah, sure."

"What do you want? Tea, coffee, water, soda..." Phoebe trailed off, gesturing her hands with every suggestion she made.

Piper shrugged. "I can just get my own glass of iced tea." But she said this a little too quickly and high pitched.

Phoebe gave her a look, filled with impatience and hurt. "I'm not going to poison you, Piper."

Piper blushed and felt rather guilty for even having thought it in the first place. "I know. But it's no trouble..."

"Piper. This is my house and you are my guest. I think I can get you a simple glass of tea. _Safe _iced tea," Phoebe snapped and disappeared in the kitchen.

_Way to go, Piper, _Piper thought angrily to herself. _Way to start things off on a good foot. _She sat down on the sofa in the center of the living room, and tried desperately to calm down.

Phoebe returned a moment later with two glasses of tea. She handed one to Piper as she sat down. "Want me to taste yours first before you take a sip?" she asked bitterly.

Piper shook her head helplessly. "I'm sorry for thinking that you...well, you know."

Phoebe shook her head. "Forget about it. I'm sorry for being so...different. It's just that I keep forgetting that I'm not one of the Charmed Ones anymore. You guys don't see me as the same person."

"Oh Phoebe, it's not that. We know you're still _you, _it's just that...well...everything is different now," Piper said, not expecting this to be so difficult.

"Yeah, like me," Phoebe retorted.

"I think we're all a little different. A lot has happened in three years."

"Are you talking about the other one?" Phoebe asked, much more softly than before.

Piper frowned. "What other one?"

"You know," Phoebe went on, her expression darkening slightly. "The...sister who replaced me."

Realization struck Piper, and she nodded in understanding. "You mean Paige." It wasn't a question, and yet Phoebe nodded.

"How did you find her? How is it even possible we have another sister? I don't remember Mom being pregnant," Phoebe pointed out, sounding much like the sister Piper remembered.

"Well, we wouldn't, would we? You were two, and I was barely five. Mom didn't keep her long enough that she would've made any impression with us," Piper explained.

Phoebe took a long sip of her tea before responding. "Grams could at least have mentioned her."

"Would it have made any difference? It's not like Grams knew where Paige lived. She was adopted into another family. If it hadn't been for...the circumstances being what they were, I don't think we would've been able to find her," Piper replied.

"So what's she like? Paige, I mean. Did she get my powers when you reconstituted the Charmed Ones?" Phoebe wondered.

Piper hesitated for just a moment before replying. "In a way. It works a bit differently since she's part Whitelighter, and..."

"Whoa, wait a minute. She's half-_whitelighter? _How is that possible?" Phoebe interrupting, her brow furrowed in confusion.

"Do you remember Sam?"

"Mom's Whitelighter Sam?"

Piper nodded. "He's Paige's father."

Phoebe's eyes opened wide. "How is that possible?"

"Do you really expect me to answer that?" Piper asked.

Phoebe smiled grimly and shook her head. "No, of course not. It's just a lot to take in, especially all at once."

"I understand. I feel the same way. But Paige isn't the reason I came over," Piper said, deciding that it was finally time to talk about Grams and what was going to happen next between them.

"Why'd you come over then?" Phoebe wondered.

Piper took a deep breath and dove in. "Grams came to see me last week. She said I should come see you and that it would do us both some good."

Phoebe made eye contact with her older sister. "Grams? Came to see you? You make it sound as though her visits happen everyday."

"Phoebe, I'm serious. She said that she saw you too."

Phoebe sighed. It was quite apparent that she hadn't expected the conversation to turn in this direction. "That was different. I was going through the Book," she stopped to judge Piper's reaction at the mention of the Book of Shadows. When she didn't respond Phoebe continued. "I was going through the Book, and said a spell. She appeared after that."

"So you summoned her?"

Phoebe rolled her eyes and stood up. "No, I didn't not _summon _her! She came to me."

"What did you guys talk about?"

Phoebe shrugged, suddenly looking quite secretive. "This and that. Do you really have to know?"

Piper shrugged and sat back on the rather comfortable sofa. "Grams was the one who told me to come talk to you. I don't know why, but it must mean something, if for no other reason than to bring us back together."

Phoebe looked down at her feet. "That might have something to do with it."

This time Piper waited for her younger sister to elaborate. She looked up at her expectantly.

Phoebe looked up and began pacing. She raised a hand to her forehead, looking as though she might have a headache. "After the speech on why I shouldn't be Queen of the Underworld and that I should leave Cole, she told me that you guys might give up on me."

Piper looked at her, puzzled. "Why would she say that?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Phoebe snapped. "You guys have done nothing but try to save me from Cole. What's going to happen when you finally realize that I'm not going to?"

Piper crossed her arms. "I think it's going to take quite some time before that happens."

"How long?" Phoebe demanded.

"When I'm ninety, I think I'll reconsider," she threw back.

Phoebe's frown disappeared and she stopped pacing. "You really aren't going to stop?"

"No, and I can't believe that you would even entertain the idea that I would. We won't ever stop, Phoebe. If Grams said that we would ever give up on you, it was obviously a scare tactic to get you to come back to us. But Prue and I and even Paige love you, and we would never just leave you out there wen we know that you're in danger."

Phoebe rolled her eyes. "And here we go again. I've already told Grams this, and now I'm telling you. I'm not leaving Cole. I'm not renouncing my crown, and I'm not going back to being a Charmed One."

"Why?" Piper demanded, her temper flaring for the first time since her visit. "Was it really that bad being a Charmed One? I remember that _you _were the first one to embrace being a Charmed One in the first place! You convinced Prue and I that we were meant to do this. I don't remember a time where you didn't enjoy every minute of it! And now you're telling me that you're just going to give it all up?"

"What do you want me to say, Piper? All of that's true. But it's just not who I am anymore," Phoebe said.

"I don't believe that. I know you better than anyone, Phoebe, and I know that you don't have an evil bone in your body. You can't kill an innocent; you can barely step on an ant! What makes you think that you're Queen of the Underworld material?" Piper asked impatiently.

Phoebe opened her mouth to argue, but no words came out. She picked up her tea glass and finished it off. Finally, after a minute or so, she spoke. Her words came out quiet and collected. "Things aren't as black and white as they used to be. I realize that now. I may not be a Charmed One anymore, but that doesn't mean that I'm not still good. Just like you're a Charmed One, but that doesn't mean that you don't still harbor some pretty nasty thoughts every once in a while. You're never one hundred percent good or evil."

"Try telling that to your demon minions," Piper retorted.

"I'm not going to. They'd never be able to understand. They're still of the mindset that good and evil is either-or," Phoebe explained, sitting back down beside Piper.

Piper frowned. She had a feeling those three sentences were indirectly directed at her, Prue, and Paige. She met Phoebe's gaze and saw that she was smiling.

"Come on, Piper. I don't expect you guys to change your views overnight. I'm just asking for you to consider it."

"Consider that evil can be good?" Piper asked disbelievingly.

"Well, yeah. Just look at Cole. He started out evil, recruited by the Triad to kill us. But his love for me overcame that. Love is a good thing, and yet he still harbors the traces of evil," Phoebe explained patiently.

"And yet he's the Source of All Evil," Piper countered sharply, more than she had intended.

"That doesn't mean that he's all evil," Phoebe argued.

"Yes it does, otherwise he'd be called the Source of Most Evil and Some Good," Piper replied sarcastically.

"Piper, even if you're not serious, I am, and until you realize that, I think it would be best if you leave," Phoebe said, careful to control her emotions as she stood up again.

Piper looked up at Phoebe, and when she realized that she was serious, she stood up too. "Oh come on, Phoebe. I am serious. I'm sorry."

"Still, Cole's coming home soon, and I don't want him to know that you were here."

"All right. But this conversation isn't over. Why don't I come back, say tomorrow?" Piper offered.

Phoebe shook her head. "No, Cole's going to be home all day. We could go somewhere public, like a restaurant. How about Buddy's?"

Piper was about to argue, but decided against it. "Fine. Is noon okay?"

Phoebe nodded. "Yes."

She led Piper to the front door. She opened it and stood aside so that Piper could get through.

"Thanks for coming over. It was nice to see you without the dramatics," Phoebe said just as Piper turned to go.

Despite herself, she smiled. "Likewise. I'll see you tomorrow."


	20. Sisters, Husbands, And Wives

A/N: Sorry again for the delay.

**FanficFemale: **I like to think that this is sort of what would have happened if this happened on the show. I didn't like how Charmed basically only had a black and white concept of good and evil on the show. Hope you like this chapter!

**Shadow Cat17: **That doesn't make you weird at all. I like this concept, and it's going to be a central focus on most of the rest of the story. Hope you like this chapter!

**lizardmomma: **You'll find out in this chapter Prue's reaction to Piper seeing Phoebe. But will she be mad? Hope you like what comes out of it!

**kagomekikyo-arrow: **It's okay. I don't expect everyone to review every single chapter. Life happens, you know? Glad you liked it, hope you stick with it, and that you like this chapter!

**thaatgirrl: **Thank you! Hope you like this chapter!

**Charmed4Life322: **Thank you so much! I'm glad you like it. In my opinion there aren't enough stories with Phoebe on the other side, and this story has just taken a life of its own now! Hope you like this chapter!

**Another Phoebe: **Thank you so much, I'm glad you like it. There aren't any immediate plans to have Phoebe be pregnant, but if she does I hope you stick with it. And you will definitely see more of Cole's evil side! Within the next couple of chapters actually! Hope you like this next chapter!

* * *

_Chapter Twenty_

When Piper got back to the Manor, she was surprised to find Prue there. She was sitting in the living room, flipping through channels on the TV.

Piper regarded her in surprise as she entered. "What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be at work?"

"Nope," Prue replied simply, not looking at Piper. "I decided I deserved a day off. What with everything going on lately, we all needed one."

"Okay." Piper still wasn't convinced Prue didn't know about Piper's meeting with Phoebe, and was just waiting for Prue to say something about it but she didn't want to go off into an apology until she was certain the subject wasn't going to be brought up. "What were you thinking, playing hooky at home and just hoping something decent is on daytime television?"

Prue shrugged. "No. I'm not sure, I'm just so _sick _of going into the magazine and taking Mr. Corso's crap all day when I _could _be at home with my sisters, doing something fun."

Piper stared. "Who are you, and what have you done with my sister?"

Prue laughed and shut off the TV. "Piper, I'm serious! I'm sick of being ever-responsible Prue! If there's one thing this whole mess with Phoebe has taught me, it's that life is too short to be worrying about mundane things like work and taking pictures of celebrities. There are much bigger and important things to worry about."

The next thing Piper knew, Prue was standing up in front of her and scooping her into a huge hug, causing them both to fall to the sofa with a hard thud.

Prue burst out laughing, something that Piper wasn't used to seeing at all. "What's the matter with you? Did you get hit with fairy dust again?"

"No, silly! I'm just happy to be home. I might just take the rest of the week off."

Piper was reminded of her and Phoebe's meeting tomorrow and wondered how she was going to get there without Prue knowing. "That's okay. You don't have to take the week off. We need the money."

"Oh come on, Piper, it's not like we have a mortgage or anything! What do you say we catch a movie or something? Maybe even go to the mall? I could go for a pedicure," Prue went on, squeezing her hand tightly.

Piper hesitated, not sure why she was doing so. "Shouldn't we wait for Paige?"

Prue shook her head impatiently. "She's going to be at work until five. And besides that, we haven't really talked since Phoebe...disappeared. Not really. I think we should."

"Okay," Piper finally agreed. _What the hell, _Piper thought to herself as Prue went to get her purse. _It's not like Phoebe's going to call. _

"What do you say we visit that nail salon in the mall? It's been ages since we've been there," Prue suggested as they made their way to the front door.

"Sure. But shouldn't we leave a note or something? You know, so Paige doesn't freak out when she realizes we aren't home?"

"Or we could just leave her a message." Prue stopped and turned to stare at Piper. Piper turned away, wishing Prue would do the same. "Are you okay? You seem a little...I don't know..._off."_

"Yeah," Piper replied, a little too quickly.

Prue gave her a knowing look.

Piper sighed. "Look, I don't really want to get into it right now. Can we just leave it alone and just do our sisterly outing?"

"I wouldn't love anything more, but if you're keeping something from me, it's going to make things a little awkward. And I don't want that to ruin our time together. So spill," Prue demanded, sounding much more like her true self.

Piper sighed, wishing she hadn't given herself away.

"I, uh, went to go see someone," she said finally, avoiding Prue's judging expression.

"Who?"

"Phoebe," Piper blurted out.

"_What?!" _Prue exclaimed.

"It wasn't my idea, okay? It's was Grams's."

"Grams?"

Piper nodded. "She came to see me last week and told me that it would be a good idea. So I did."

"Why didn't you tell me? I would've come with," Prue replied, losing her harsh tone. She no longer looked angry or even surprised. Only regretful.

"Really?" Piper was skeptical.

"What, you think you're the only one who misses her?" Prue asked in disbelief. "She's my sister too. You really think I would've refused to see her? Why does everyone think so little of me all of a sudden? No one thinks I can be understanding or forgiving. I'm so ready to hear Phoebe out, it's _killing _me, Piper!"

Piper was shocked. She _definitely _had not been expecting that reaction. She immediately wrapped a comforting arm around her older sister, who looked to be on the verge of tears. "I thought, after the times when Phoebe was here since she turned evil, that you might not want to see her."

Prue shook her head. "That's not true. I may be a little disappointed at how things turned out, but I would _never _disown her, if that's what you think."

"Well, no, I..." Piper was at a loss for words. Now not only was she surprised, but she felt guilty. Suddenly she thought of a way for Prue to feel better. "Phoebe and I have a lunch date tomorrow at Buddy's. Want to come with?"

"You're meeting Phoebe for lunch tomorrow?"

Piper nodded. "We're going to finish our conversation. We're trying to come to terms with what happens. I think it's a good idea for you to come with. You know, so we can come to terms with this together."

Prue nodded as well. "Okay. Definitely. I'll call Mr. Corso and tell him I won't be going to work tomorrow. Hopefully he'll be okay with it since there's no way I'm missing lunch tomorrow."

Piper couldn't help but smile as Prue took her cell phone out of her phone and called her boss. Now that she knew Prue was just as eager to talk to Phoebe as she was, Piper felt much better about the whole thing. It made her think that this whole mess could get resolved once and for all.

* * *

"Excellent news!" Cole exclaimed as he shimmered into the bedroom, where Phoebe was flipping absent-mindedly through the Book of Shadows. The book closed on its own as Phoebe jumped a foot in the air from being startled by her husband's unannounced entrance.

"Cole, don't do that!" she exclaimed, but he wasn't listening.

"We've finally figured out how to defeat the Charmed Ones without actually killing them!" Cole announced, ignoring Phoebe's previous comment. He sat down on the bed beside Phoebe and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek.

"You what?" Phoebe asked, not sure she heard him correctly.

"Yes! Maseras was talking to an alchemist who said he has a potion that would permanently strip your sisters of their powers, making them mortal, and no spell or potion of theirs would be able to undo it! Isn't that great?"

Phoebe forced a tight smile. "That's wonderful."

But Cole wasn't fooled. "That wasn't the reaction I was hoping for. Phoebe, this is what we've wanted for months! I promised you that your sisters wouldn't be harmed, didn't I? Well, this potion is how we eliminate the threat of the Charmed Ones without causing them any harm. I thought this was what you wanted?"

Phoebe stared at him incredulously. "When did I say that?"

Cole looked at his wife in confusion. "That's all we've talked about. This is what I gave you powers for. Powers you haven't been using, I should point out."

"Cole, that doesn't have anything to do with this. How is stripping my sisters' powers not harming them? Being the Charmed Ones is who they are! That's who I used to be. Not being one...it's like taking a part of them away," Phoebe explained, her tone growing softer and softer with every word.

Cole stood up, walking over to Phoebe. "Is that how you feel?" he demanded. "That a part of you is gone because you aren't a Charmed One? I thought you were happy being with me."

"I am!" Phoebe exclaimed. "God, Cole! How many times do I have to say this? I made the choice to be your queen on my own. I had plenty of opportunities to go back to being a Charmed One, but I didn't take them. I want to be with you. And yes, I may have wanted to get my sisters out of the way at the beginning, but things have changed."

"Why?" Cole demanded.

"Because I know they won't go after us."

"And how do you know that?"

"I saw Piper today."

Cole's eyes bulged at this. He seemed to be at a loss for words.

Phoebe rushed into an explanation, not wanting him to get any angrier than he already was. "It's not what you think. She dropped by, completely unannounced, wanting to talk. Not about you, not about us. Just sister stuff. She's been missing me, Cole. Hell, I've missed her too. I'm not going to lie and say I haven't. It was completely innocent."

"Were you planning on telling me?" Cole's voice was quiet as he said this. He avoided Phoebe's eyes.

"I just did, didn't I?"

"Only because I backed you into a corner. Let me ask you this: did you even try to look for that spell to keep us together?"

"Oh, Cole, I'm sorry. I completely forgot!" Phoebe exclaimed in horror. The truth was that she did forget.

Cole shook his head. "Of course."

Phoebe frowned in outrage. "You think I forgot on _purpose?" _

"Phoebe, what else _can _I think? You blew me off for your sister! How do you know she didn't cast some spell on you to make you forget?"

"She didn't."

"How do you know?"

"Because I know her, and I know she would never do anything like that."

"Even if it meant bringing you back to their side? Make you a Charmed One again?"

"No." Phoebe shook her head, careful to keep her voice light. "You want to know what we talked about? I'll tell you. We were looking to find some sort of compromise."

Cole took a moment to process this. When he did finally reply, his voice was light as well. "What sort of compromise?"

Phoebe smiled. "The kind where I stay with you and they're okay with it."

Cole blinked in surprise. "Really?"

Phoebe nodded. "Yes. They aren't as opposed to us being together as we originally thought."

"Hmm. This is news," he said, more to himself than to Phoebe.

Phoebe walked up to him and embraced him in a much needed hug. "So maybe we don't need to have the alchemist give my sisters that potion?"

"We'll see. In the meantime...why don't I make it up to you about this little fight?" he asked, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.

Phoebe smirked seductively, all traces of her earlier outrage gone. "What did you have in mind?"

Cole answered her by kissing her passionately on the lips, working his hands underneath her shirt. Then they fell to the bed in a tangled heap.

* * *

When Prue and Piper got back to the manor around sunset, they found Paige sitting at the kitchen table working on what they could only assume to be a case.

"Hey, honey. How was your day?" Prue asked as she took a seat across from their youngest sister.

"Ugh." Paige grunted in response. It was like Prue's voice had released her from some kind of trance work had trapped her in. She crossed her arms on the table and leaned her head down tiredly.

Prue and Piper exchanged amused looks. "Paige, why don't you take a break? You've been working all day," Piper said, whisking Paige's file from underneath her.

Paige looked up. "Unlike you two, who seem to have bought the entire mall. What did you get?"

Prue held out her hands in response. "See for yourself!"

"Honey, your nails are beautiful!" Paige exclaimed upon seeing her older sister's manicure. She'd decided on a French manicure with the tips of her nails white. "I'm so jealous. Next time you have to take me with you!"

"We will. We promise. In the meantime, why don't you go take a nice, relaxing bubble bath? No more work, not even thoughts of work. When you come out, I'll fix us some hot fudge sundaes!" Piper offered, taking Paige's arms and leading her out of her seat.

Paige nodded. "Good idea. I have to admit, a hot bubble bath sounds great."

Prue smiled and motioned to the staircase. "Have at it."

As Paige bounced away, Piper took her seat. "We should have taken her with us. Help her feel more like she's part of the family."

"While I would usually agree with you, this was something that just you and I had to do. I'm not trying to minimize Paige's involvement in our family, but we know Phoebe more than she does. We had to talk about her. We stand more to lose than Paige does," Prue explained, her expression turning serious.

Piper shrugged. "I guess. I still feel kind of guilty for leaving her out, though."

"I know. But we'll make up for it tonight. We'll have a fat night. Have some sundaes, watch some cheesy romantic film on TV, then maybe even get some facials! Things we haven't done in a long time," Prue replied.

"Sounds good to me. I could use a facial," Piper stated.

"I'll say," Prue joked.

Piper smacked her playfully on the shoulder.

When Paige came down half an hour later, Piper indulged her sisters by keeping her promise and making them sundaes. Once they were finished, Prue led them all to the upstairs bathroom and got out all they needed for facials. Piper laughed along with Prue and Paige, determined to keep Phoebe out of her thoughts. She knew that once she thought of Phoebe she would begin to feel guilty, and that would spoil the mood.

_Besides, _she thought to herself. _If we ever come to a truce with Phoebe, we could be doing this with her pretty soon anyway. _

That was the thought that kept her laughing with her other sisters.


	21. The Deepest Layers of Hell

A/N: Here's the next installment, earlier than I'd planned, but I doubt you'll complain. Lol. Hope you like the twist to the story!

**FanficFemale: **Thank you. This chapter will sort of change things, so hope you like it!

**lizardmomma: **Thanks, hope you like this chapter!

**Rocky: **If Phoebe and Cole do eventually have kids in this story, they won't be half-witch half-demon. I agree that it's way too overdone. I can't tell you yet what they'll be, though. But thanks, hope you like this chapter!

**Shadow Cat17: **I'm so glad! Hope you like this one, especially the twist. It sort of brings things back to the beginning of the story.

**Charmed4Life322: **This chapter makes up for the lack of Phoebe/Cole last chapter. Hope you like the twist!

**Another Phoebe: **Honestly I haven't decided if they'll have kids yet, but I promise that if they do, they won't be all lovey-dovey. It wouldn't fit well with the tone of the story, plus I don't think that's how they would've been on the show if they'd have kids. Thank you for your review, hope you like this one!

* * *

_Chapter Twenty-One_

When Phoebe woke the following morning, the first thing she noticed was Cole watching her from his side of the bed. She pulled the sheets tighter around her body as she sat up. "What?" she asked finally when he didn't say anything.

He shrugged. "Just waiting for you to wake up. I have a surprise for you."

"Oh really? What kind of surprise?"

"You'll just have to get dressed to find out." Cole got out of bed, taking his time in gathering some clothes and making his way to their bathroom. Before he disappeared inside it, he flashed her a mysterious smile, causing her to flash back to last night and how amazing it was.

She put on her black silk thigh-high nightgown that lay strewn across her dresser and decided that while she was waiting for Cole to get out of the bathroom she might as well make some coffee. What was waiting for a grand surprise without coffee?

Cole emerged about ten minutes later, his hair still a little damp from the aftermath of his shower. His towel was draped around his torso, exposing his muscled stomach, and Phoebe couldn't help but admire his six-pack. Silently he slid past her to take his own cup of coffee. Phoebe took his place as she gathered her things for her own shower.

When she came out of the bathroom about half an hour later, Cole was in the bedroom rifling through her dresser and gathering various items and placing them carefully in a rather large suitcase. He didn't seem to notice her arrival so she said softly, "Are we going somewhere?"

Cole didn't even look up. "You could say that. I need to get some of my things. Can you finish packing your stuff? I think I got most of it but if there's anything you might need that I forgot then feel free to bring it."

Phoebe frowned but couldn't help but feel excited with anticipation. Had Cole planned a romantic night out on the town and had so many activities lined up that there was no way they'd make it back to the penthouse? Or was it something even more exotic like a trip to Paris? She quickly dismissed that idea; they weren't packing enough for an overnight trip in an overseas country.

"Should I bring my computer?" she asked.

He paused, seeming to think about it, but shook his head. "No," he said finally. "There won't be any need for it where we're going."

"And where exactly would that be?" she asked. She'd never been good with unplanned vacations even though this one she was actually looking forward to.

He grinned again. "You'll see soon enough."

And with that teasing sentiment still ringing through her ears, Phoebe continued to gather other miscellaneous items and putting them into the suitcase he'd left her.

Finally, after what felt like hours, Phoebe had gathered as many clothes as would fit, some shoes, makeup, her toothbrush and toothpaste, some tampons, and some books. She had no idea where they were going, and if the trip was a long one, she didn't want to have to depend on the outside scenery for entertainment.

"Ready," she announced as she finished zipping up the overstuffed suitcase.

"Did you pack everything?"

Phoebe nodded. "As much as I could."

"Good. Where we're going, we might be for a while."

Phoebe fought the urge to ask where that was again. She knew Cole wouldn't tell her. He was big on mystery, and seemed particularly excited for this one.

"I'm ready, too. Take my hand," he said, holding out his hand for her to take.

She did. "Are we going to save on airfare and shimmer there?"

He laughed. "We don't need an airplane to get where we're going."

The next thing Phoebe felt was the familiar feeling of her molecules disappearing and reappearing somewhere else just a second later. But, she thought as she looked around at the dark caverns of her disturbingly familiar Underworld surroundings, she had been wrong about one thing.

She wasn't going to like her surprise.

* * *

When Prue woke up, she was immediately struck by how calm the world seemed when she had nowhere to be. The sun streamed in from the windows, bathing her bedroom in a rich golden glow. It was nice to be woken by nature and not by her alarm clock for once. She glanced at the time on her alarm clock and noticed with some surprise that it was almost ten.

Prue knew that Paige had long since left for the social service building where she worked so she didn't even bother going to her room and seeing if she was still there. Instead she went to Piper's room, but was shocked to discover that it was empty.

"Piper?" she called, praying silently to herself that her younger sister would answer.

She did. "In the kitchen!"

Breathing a sigh of relief, Prue turned on her heel and headed downstairs.

She found Piper in the kitchen as she'd said, cooking eggs and bacon. "Wow," she said in greeting. "So this is how you treat yourself when you have the house to yourself."

Piper smiled. "You know, normally I don't, but I'm in a better mood now that it looks as though we're finally going to come to some kind of understanding with Phoebe."

"You're right. It feels like we're becoming sisters again," Prue agreed, pouring herself some of the coffee that Piper had made earlier. She sat down at the kitchen table and watched as her younger sister finished frying the eggs and placed them on two plates. She put two strips of bacon on each then walked to the table, placing on plate in front of Prue.

Not realizing how hungry she was, she started eating before Piper even sat down.

Piper laughed. "Don't get too full. We still have lunch with Phoebe today."

"Don't worry about me, Piper. I will definitely be hungry then too."

Piper frowned a little, offended. "Are you saying my food isn't enough?"

"No!" Prue shook her head at once, not wanting Piper angry with her. "That's not what I meant at all! I was just saying that I'm taking advantage of my time off and plan on pigging out accordingly."

"Oh." Piper's expression softened. "Me too."

They ate in silence for a bit. Prue still couldn't get over how quiet the manor was without Phoebe. Back before they'd discovered Paige and Phoebe wasn't in school, she always made her presence known. She was never exactly quiet. Prue wondered vaguely whether that had changed.

"So what time are we meeting Phoebe?" Prue asked, not liking the silence.

"Noon," Piper replied.

"Should we call her? You know, remind her just in case she forgot?"

Piper gave her a puzzled look. "Why?"

"Well," Prue began. "She was never exactly known for her punctuality. Besides, you know how she forgets things."

"Prue, it's not like Phoebe is still a teenager. She's a grown woman." Piper looked as though she were about to laugh.

"I know. I can't help it. She's still my baby sister, Queen of the Underworld or not."

"Not anymore," Piper pointed out obviously. "I think Paige has taken up that role."

Prue shrugged. "That's different."

"How so?"

"Well, for one thing we didn't grow up with Paige. I know she's our sister and I love her like one, but...I don't know, she just doesn't _feel _like our baby sister. Phoebe does."

Piper looked amused. "That's just because you still aren't used to Paige, you still think of Phoebe as irresponsible, and Paige has a job. You've never been good with change, Prue."

"That's not true!" Prue exclaimed, indignant.

Piper gave her a pointed look.

"It's not! I am great with change."

"Like when you found out we were witches whose destiny was to fight the forces of evil and protect the innocent against them?" Piper asked.

She had a point. "All right, so maybe I have a _tiny _problem with change. But that doesn't mean I don't welcome it when it comes. I just have some issues adjusting to it."

This time Piper really did laugh. "Yeah. Sure you do." She got up and took hers and Prue's empty plates and put them in the sink. "We should get ready. We don't have that long before our meeting with Phoebe."

Prue stood up and followed Piper upstairs to get ready.

They left the manor around 11:30. Buddy's always attracted a crowd around lunchtime no matter what day it was, and they wanted to make sure they got a table. It didn't take long to get there; maybe ten minutes. The parking lot was already full. By the time they finally found a spot, it was a little after twelve.

The sisters hurried into the restaurant and looked around for Phoebe. They interrupted in their search, however, by the hostess. "How many?"

"Two," Prue replied. "But we're expecting one more."

The hostess nodded. "The wait will be about five minutes."

They decided to wait outside just in case Phoebe was running late too. They hadn't seen her inside so they figured this was probably the case.

But, once their five minutes of waiting was over and their names were called, Phoebe still hadn't shown up.

"Maybe she woke up late," Prue offered.

"Do you think we should call her?" Piper asked, worried.

"Do you have her number?"

Piper gulped. She didn't, and she knew Prue didn't. "We can always swing by her place after we eat to make sure she's okay."

Prue nodded, considering this. "Okay. We'll do that."

Then they went inside to take their table, hoping that they were wrong in their worrying and that Phoebe would come in and ramble out an explanation for her tardiness.

But it never happened.

* * *

"Cole," Phoebe said angrily through clenched teeth. "What are we doing down here?"

"We're going to be living down here for a while," he replied, as though the answer should be obvious.

"Why?" she asked, reminded of their time down here while they were on the run from the Source.

Cole sighed. "Because I'm afraid your sisters are influencing you, and not in a healthy way." He bent down so that they were closer in height. "Remember when I first became the Source? You were strong and willful, and ready to rule the Underworld by my side. But now you've changed. I've seen it, other demons have seen it, and I know you've seen it, too. It started once I got you the penthouse, and it's only gotten worse since you've seen your sisters. I think that we need to live down here for a while so that you can be reminded of what we once were."

Phoebe glared at him. "And what if I don't want to? Are you going to hold me hostage?" she asked bitterly.

Cole shook his head patiently. "I'm not going to make you do anything you don't want to. But Phoebe, the other demons have noticed a change in you. They've seen the good in you reach the surface, and they're starting to think that we are weak rulers. If they think that, they could be getting ready to lead a revolt and then we'd both be dead. I can't let that happen. So I'm asking you, as your husband, to give this a chance."

Phoebe was silent, mulling this over in her head. She knew Cole was right. If the demons lead a revolt against them, they would stand a chance, even if they got her sisters' help. She looked up at Cole, who was watching her in a strange mixture of anticipation and desperation.

Finally she took a deep breath and nodded. "Okay. I'll do it."

Cole beamed and gathered her in a loving hug. "I'm so glad you said that."

And with that he took her hand and led her down the all too familiar path to the Source's lair.


	22. Fighting, Surviving, And Betraying

A/N: As sad as this sounds, this was the soonest I could get this chapter uploaded. I was afraid I was going to have to wait until tomorrow, but luckily I found some time! Hope you all like! Thanks to all reviewers, I appreciate you immensely!

**FanficFemale: **It's definitely going to affect Phoebe, as you'll find out in this chapter and the chapters to follow. As for Piper and Prue, well, you'll just have to read to find out! Lol**.**

**Another Phoebe: **Thank you! And I always consider reviews. I love Cole's dark side, and hopefully this chapter will not disappoint!

**Shadow Cat17: **Thanks. Many more twists to come!

**Charmed4Life322: **Lol. Thanks, glad you liked it. As I said before, many more twists are coming!

**lizardmomma: **Can it last in the Underworld, too? Hope you like the aftermath of Prue and Piper finding out what happened.

**funluvr151: **Thank you, glad you liked it.

**SpeedDemon315: **Yes, I hated how Prue constantly said that everyone has both a dark side and a good side, yet she never accepted that Cole had a good side even when he was trying to prove it. I'm so glad you like it! I agree that if Phoebe and Cole had kids on the show, their son would be a heartbreaker. That would've been fun to see. Anyway, hope you like this chapter, and thanks for the review!

* * *

_Chapter Twenty-Two_

"Do you think Phoebe is even here?" Piper asked as they pulled into the apartment complex parking lot.

Prue shook her head. "I don't know, but there's only one way to find out." She got out of the car once her sister parked it. Piper followed suit a second later.

As Prue looked up at the tall apartment, she couldn't help but feel a deep sense of longing. Even though it had barely been a month since Phoebe had disappeared into the Underworld, it felt more like a year and Prue felt as though she had missed out on a huge part of her little sister's life.

"Let's go. Phoebe lives in the penthouse," Piper told her as she hurtled past.

As Prue hurried to fall in step with her, she was overcome with an unexpected pang of jealousy. Piper had gone to see Phoebe without her. Granted, Prue had been at work at the time, but Piper hadn't even told her about it. Piper had all but said that she hadn't told her because she was afraid Prue would freak out. But Prue was beyond freaking out. Now she just wanted her sister back.

She still couldn't believe it had come to this. What started out as hiding in the Underworld to keep her sisters safe had quickly escalated into Phoebe becoming the Queen of the Underworld. It was like in the blink of an eye, everything had changed. Sometimes it was almost too much to handle.

The doormen nodded his head to the sisters, having recognized Piper from her visit the other day. They acknowledged him then walked briskly to the elevator.

Prue looked at Piper. She wanted to know whether she felt as nervous as Prue felt. Her instincts were telling her that something was wrong, and they had never been wrong before.

Piper, picking up on Prue's uneasiness, frowned. "What's wrong?"

"I don't know Piper, but something doesn't feel...right."

"Well, it's not like Phoebe hasn't forgotten stuff before. When we get there and find her still sleeping we'll laugh this whole thing off," Piper said, waving Prue's concerns off, but something in her voice told Prue that Piper didn't believe a word she had just said.

Prue didn't say anything more on the subject, and by the time the elevator came, she was half tempted to take the stairs three at a time.

Even though it only took about a minute to get to the top floor, to Prue it felt like an hour. By the time they got to the penthouse, she practically threw the doors of elevator open.

What she saw made her realize her worst fears had been confirmed.

The only signs that people had once lived here was the furniture. The sofa stood abandoned in the center of the living room, the piano was in the farthest corner. There were no books, computers, televisions, dishes, cups, make-up. Definitely no sign of Phoebe or Cole. It was as though they had simply vanished off the face of the earth.

Piper gasped in horror from behind her. "How is this possible?" she asked in disbelief, though the question was rhetorical.

Prue answered anyway. "They're gone."

"But _how?" _Piper squealed uncharacteristically. "I was just here the other day."

"A lot can happen in a day," Prue muttered.

"Apparently. But where could they have gone?" Piper asked as she moved past her older sister and into the living room. "I mean, you would think that Phoebe would have the decency to call us and tell us where she was going, or at least that she was leaving."

"Unless..." Prue trailed off as a single, horrifying thought occurred to her.

Piper turned around to face her. "Unless what?" she demanded.

Prue hesitated, not sure of the best way to express her terrifying thought out loud. Finally she decided the best way to go about it was to just say it. "Unless Cole kidnapped her."

Piper's eyebrows shot up. It was apparent that this was not the answer she was expecting. "Excuse me? You think Phoebe's husband kidnapped her?"

"Well, what else am I supposed to think?" Prue cried, motioning to the empty apartment. "Everything is gone, no note, no call. There's no sign of forced entry."

"But why does that automatically mean that Cole was the one who kidnapped her? In fact, why does that mean she was kidnapped at all? Maybe she ran away," Piper offered.

Prue shook her head. "No. I don't believe that. Phoebe would never run away, no matter how bad things get."

Piper gave her a pointed look. "What about right after Grams died and Phoebe went to New York?"

"That was different. She was scared, depressed, lonely, so she went to go find our father."

Piper walked over to her older sister and wrapped her arm around her shoulder. "Well, uh, don't you think that's kind of how she's feeling now?"

Prue looked down. She hadn't really thought about it, but now it made sense. Being Queen of the Underworld had to scare her at least a little bit. And Piper said that she had been a little depressed and lonely when Grams had come down to see her. Not in so many words, of course, but it was the general message.

"You think?"

Piper shrugged, looking helpless and defeated. "I don't really know what to think. But something must've happened to her, and whatever it is, I think the best thing we can do is to go back to the Manor. Maybe she'll try to contact us there."

Prue thought about it, not quite ready to give up. But she knew Piper was right. That was the one place Phoebe knew to go to where her sisters would be, aside from P3 and possibly the 415 magazine building. After a moment or two of silence, Prue nodded. "Okay."

As they turned to leave, Prue remembered something. She quickly turned on her heel and walked to the bedroom. She didn't really know how she knew it would be there, but she didn't dwell on it. She just let her feet lead her to where she was going.

"Prue, what are you looking for?" Piper asked curiously.

It took Prue only a second to find it. With a smile that didn't quite express her relief and gratitude, she picked it up and met her sister by the door.

"Just getting the Book of Shadows."

* * *

Phoebe's hand was on her forehead in irritation and boredom. She was staring straight ahead at the wall--or rather--cave wall, trying to find different patterns for lack of anything better to do.

Cole was away at meetings, gathering all his best demons. Maseras had been left behind with her. He claimed that the meeting didn't concern him and that was why he was here, but Phoebe knew better. Cole was afraid she would try to leave, so he left his most trusted demon with her to keep an eye on her.

She refused to talk to the demon, more out of pride than anything else, so she was left with nothing to do. She wished she had brought her computer, but knew that even if she had, the battery would only have lasted a day, two if she were lucky.

"Are you sure you don't want to have a go at a sword fight? I hear you are a natural," Maseras spoke up, getting to his feet.

Phoebe glared at him with as much venom as she could muster. For the first time since she received the power, she sent her mind into the vast reaches of his and heard his thoughts even as they entered his mind.

'_What a lovely body. Maybe if I get close enough, I can run my hand along those nice, curved thighs and...'_

"Okay, that's it. If you so much as think another word, I will put my sword down the base of your throat and keep it there until your lungs rip in half. Got it?" she snapped, rounding on the perverted demon.

For a moment Maseras looked taken aback, but as quickly as it came, his surprise was gone and a cold, calculated smirk crossed his features. "Ah, finally using the powers the Source obtained for you? It's about time."

"Don't tell me you _wanted _me to hear your dirty thoughts," Phoebe scoffed, irritated.

"Well, maybe not _all _of them. But I would have thought you'd take it as a compliment. Not all demons think of humans that way. But you, most of them make an exception for--"

"I told you to keep your mouth shut. Otherwise my husband is going to be very, _very _angry." Phoebe's voice was like a cold breeze in the middle of a dark night.

Maseras shrugged. "He'll never know."

"He will if I tell him."

"You think he would believe you over me? I'm his advisor. I aid him in all his decisions. You could say, I'm the man behind the Source of all Evil."

Phoebe rolled her eyes. "You are no man. And he would never believe _you _over _me. _I'm his _wife," _she hissed, drawing out the last word into a few syllables to make it sound venomous.

To her severe annoyance, this only made the demon smirk wider. "Then tell me, why is it that he left me here to watch you? Perhaps it was because he did not _trust _his wife to stay where she was told."

"He trusts me fine. And believe me," she said, getting to her feet and reaching for the hilt of her sword. She didn't take it out of her belt loop, only let her hand dangle threateningly in front of it as she strode closer and closer to Maseras. "If I wanted to leave, I'd do it, and don't think for one second that you could stop me. I'm more powerful than you."

Maseras yawned as if bored. "I beg to differ."

Phoebe raised her eyebrows interestedly. "Is that a challenge?"

Maseras regarded her for a second before standing up. "Perhaps."

Phoebe drew her sword out. "Bring it on," she breathed.

Maseras swung before she was ready. He knocked her on her feet, thrusting her sword just out of her reach. "Come on, Charmed One. At least give me the illusion that this will be a challenge."

As he raised his own sword, preparing to bring it down into Phoebe's stomach, she rolled out of the way just in time to grab her own sword and strike his, bringing the two pieces of sharpened metal to a deafening clang.

Phoebe managed to shove the bearing down demon out of the way so she could get to her feet. This time she was ready as he swung, deflecting him easily. They stayed like that for a while. One of them would swing and the other would block. It wasn't until Phoebe threw in a swift kick to his abdomen that he hesitated, taking a quick second to recover from the blow.

But it wasn't quick enough.

Phoebe swung her sword again, hitting his own sword so that it swung gracefully out of his hands and landed by her feet. She scooped it up before Maseras could and pointed both of the swords' points right at his throat.

His breathing staggered and he kept his gaze glued to the swords, though Phoebe knew for a fact that all his attention was directed at Phoebe in angry, embarrassed wisps of thoughts.

"Like I said, think anything like that again, and I will take great pleasure in killing you."

Then she threw his sword back down in front of him and turned away, returning to her spot in the furthest corner of the cave's entrance, waiting impatiently for Cole to return.

* * *

"What do you mean Phoebe's gone?" Leo asked later back at the manor.

Prue and Piper had gathered Leo and Paige into the living room to tell them what they had found out back at the penthouse.

"We mean all their stuff is gone, and it looks like they either left in a hurry, or..." Piper trailed off, not able to finish her sentence.

"They were kidnapped," Prue finished for her.

Leo frowned. "But that doesn't make any sense. The Source wouldn't run away from anything, and Cole would never kidnap Phoebe. He loves her too much."

"Yeah, but maybe that's the problem," Paige put in, speaking for the first time since she'd found out that Phoebe was gone.

The sisters and whitelighter turned to her.

She blushed a little by the attention, but kept going. "Maybe Cole was afraid that you guys were getting to her. You know, turning her good again. Maybe he wanted to take her somewhere that you couldn't get to her."

"That's ridiculous," Prue said, dismissing Paige's theory, though everyone knew by the tone of her voice that she didn't think it was so ridiculous.

"So they just packed up and moved back to the Underworld?" Piper sounded disbelieving. "I'm sorry, but I know Phoebe, and I know she would never agree to that."

"Maybe Cole didn't give her a choice," Leo added quietly.

"So he gave her an ultimatum? Either him or us? Phoebe would never tolerate that," Prue stated.

"Well, I don't think she had much of a choice," Paige replied quickly. "Who knows what Cole would have done if Phoebe had chosen you guys over him. He could have killed her. Or he could have threatened to kill us."

"But if that was true, she would have tried to contact us somehow. She'd have warned us that he was going to try to come after us," Piper interrupted, not really sure why she was since this seemed to be the most likely scenario.

"Well, it's much harder to use good magic down in the Underworld. Plus, Phoebe isn't a Charmed One anymore so she doesn't have as much power as she used to. Contacting us is going to take a while. In the meantime, I think I should go see the Elders and tell them what we know. Even if Cole isn't going to go after you guys, I'd rather play it safe," Leo said after a while.

Prue nodded. "Do what you have to. In the meantime, I'm going to scry for her. She may not be in the Underworld. She might be in trouble somewhere else, and if that's the case, she needs our help now."

She stood up and went to the attic. Leo took that time to orb up to the Elders, leaving Piper and Paige alone in the living room.

"So you really saw Phoebe the other day?" Paige asked once Prue and Leo were gone.

Piper nodded. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you before. It just didn't seem like that big of a deal at the time."

Paige shrugged. "It's not. It's just weird to think that the woman who we summoned here, the very essence of evil is good, at least somewhat."

"I like to think so. Hopefully once all this is done, Phoebe is going to be back home with us. But in order to make that happen, you and I need to pay the Underworld a little visit."

* * *

"Have my belongings arrived yet?"

Cole was pacing in the Underworld, in the room they used for meetings.

A tall, bulky demon nodded. "They are in your chambers as we speak."

"Good. I don't want my wife knowing I sold the penthouse. It would make her uneasy. I need the influence of the Underworld to overtake her again. I need her on my side for what's to come."

The demon hesitated, unsure of whether he should engage the Source in conversation, but his curiosity got the better of him, and he asked, "What's to come, My Liege?"

Cole grinned. "Something beyond your wildest imagination."


	23. Trapped

A/N: I am SOOO sorry for the long delay. Bad case of writer's block, plus I'm moving soon so getting ready for that is eating up a lot of time. But i swear I haven't forgotten this story, or any others you might be reading!

Thanks to **Pholefan, lizardmomma, Another Phoebe, FanficFemale, Charmed4Life322, SpeedDemon315, **and** PhoebeNprue4eva **for reviewing. I really appreciate all feedback!

* * *

_Chapter Twenty-Three_

"Tell me again why we're down here," Paige asked impatiently as they materialized in the Underworld.

Piper ignored her and looked around, making sure there weren't any demons around. There weren't, although Piper couldn't decide whether that was a good thing or a bad thing. When she was certain she and Paige were alone, she spoke.

"We're down here because we need to find out for sure whether Phoebe is down here or not."

Paige looked at her quizically. "Don't we already know that? I mean, didn't you say that their apartment was cleaned out?"

"Well, that doesn't necessarily mean they came down here. They could have skipped town or...something."

Piper couldn't bring herself to elaborate that last statement, but judging from the look on Paige's face, she didn't have to.

Paige nodded in understanding. "Okay. But let's do this quickly. I haven't really known Prue all that long, but something tells me she wouldn't like the idea of us going to the Underworld alone. Especially without her."

Piper and Paige linked arms and began their journey into the vast Underworld.

It didn't take long for Piper to realize that the Underworld was much larger than she'd expected. She'd expected a small place maybe a mile or so wide. But this was like a whole other world. Hence, the name, she thought sadly.

It also felt as though she and Paige were just walking around in circles. Piper supposed the demons made it feel maze-like on purpose, probably to throw off any unwanted visitors. She couldn't help but think that it was working.

"I would just like to go on record as saying that I'm beginning to think this is pointless," Paige said after a while.

Piper shrugged but didn't say anything. The truth was that she had been thinking the same thing, but she couldn't voice these opinions aloud. Paige would probably rub her nose in it, but more than that, she couldn't all but say she was giving up on getting Phoebe out of the Underworld.

"Don't talk like that, Paige. We need to keep a positive attitude," Piper said in reply, and they kept trudging through the Underworld, albeit in much lower spirits than when they started.

Finally, just as Piper was about to tell Paige that she might as well orb them back to the manor, a man's voice could be heard from about five yards away or so.

"...How soon can it be sold?"

Piper frowned, thinking it was Cole's voice, but she had no idea what he was talking about.

Another voice spoke up, one she didn't recognize. "We can have it cleaned out by tonight."

Piper and Paige exchanged nervous glances. "What are they talking about?" Paige whispered so they couldn't be overheard.

"I don't know," Piper whispered back. "But whatever it is, it can't be good."

As the sisters slowly crept closer, the two men's voices grew louder and louder as the distance between them got smaller, and Piper could now easily tell that Cole was one of the men they were listening to.

Cole spoke up again, and the tone of his voice suggested that he was pleased. "Excellent. We're ahead of schedule. Have our things sent to my quarters. I have some...rather uncomfortable news to deliver."

"What might that be, if you don't mind my asking," the other man asked, sounding apprehensive.

"I have to tell my wife that she won't be seeing the sun for quite some time."

With that, footsteps echoed throughout the cave, and Piper pushed Paige against the cave wall as Cole and his demon brushed by, apparently not noticing the sisters in their grand exit.

Once she was sure they were gone, Piper jumped away from the wall as if it burned her. "He's moving Phoebe out of the penthouse?" she asked, staring at Paige as though the younger woman held the answer.

Paige shrugged helplessly. "It sounds like it. But why would he do that? He has to know that keeping Phoebe down here against her will isn't going to win her love."

Piper nodded, trying to make sense out of nonsense. What worried her even more than Cole moving Phoebe out of the penthouse and back into the Underworld was the high possibility that Phoebe didn't even _know _she was being moved out of the penthouse. It sounded as though Cole was up to no good, and he was worried about something. Something he didn't want Phoebe to know about.

"I think we should follow them," Piper said at once, turning to leave the cave that Cole and the other demon had just left through.

Paige's hand fell to Piper's shoulder, stopping her mid-stride. "Are you crazy? We can't just follow them! What if they know we're here and _want _us to follow them?"

Piper stared at her as though she were crazy. "If they knew we were there, they would have captured us. Cole has never been one to just let loose ends hang." She started to the cave's entrance once more, but this time Paige moved past her, blocking her way.

"We can't take that chance, and you know it. This is reckless; this whole thing is reckless. We shouldn't have come down here, at least not without anyone knowing we're here."

"But we can't just leave Phoebe down here, especially if she's being held against her will! Who knows what Cole's planning for her?!" Piper snapped exasperatedly, using up all her self-control not to shove her half-sister out of the way and storming all through the Underworld in search of Phoebe.

Paige reluctantly but surely placed both her hands squarely on Piper's shoulders, steadying her. She met Piper's eyes. "All the more reason to go back to the manor and come up with a plan. A safe plan where we have back-up."

Piper glared at Paige, knowing she was right, but not wanting to admit it. Finally she nodded once, and Paige let her go. "All right. Let's go home."

Paige gripped Piper's arm and started to orb back to the manor, when a strong hand pulled her roughly to one side, stopping the orbing process. Piper immediately turned around to find out who had found them.

It was Cole. "Hello, ladies. Thank you for making my job so much easier."

* * *

Prue slammed the scrying crystal onto the table they used for scrying in frustration. She didn't know why she thought it would work since she already knew Cole and Phoebe were in the Underworld. Perhaps she'd convinced herself that they were wrong; that they were safe and sound in their penthouse or somewhere else above ground.

Leo had not yet returned, and she didn't know where Piper and Paige had gone off to. She felt as though she were alone in the house, and though she had considered calling for them just to see if they were still here, she wanted to be alone more.

Seeing no more use of the scrying equipment, Prue walked over to the Book of Shadows, which she had swiped from the penthouse. She knew that no good would come from flipping through the pages, but they brought her comfort all the same. Ever since Phoebe had disappeared into the Underworld, the large volume reminded her of their early years as the Charmed Ones. How Phoebe and the book had immediately formed a bond.

It almost brought her to tears as she remembered how she'd found the Book of Shadows, lying abandoned and forgotten at the foot of the bed, open to a random page that Prue was sure hadn't been intended for any specific use. It was as though the two of them had considered taking it with them, then decided not to at the last minute.

A swirl of bright blue lights came into her view, and a second later Leo materialized in the center of the attic. His expression remained blank. "Any luck?" he asked.

Prue shook her head. "No. I can't find them, so they're probably in the Underworld. Do the Elders know what's going on?"

"Only an idea." Leo crossed the attic and sat down on the well worn white plush sofa, his hands brushing through his uncombed blond hair. "They, like you, think Cole and Phoebe are back in the Underworld, but they don't know why. If Cole is up to something, he's keeping it under the radar."

"They wouldn't happen to know what his intentions are with Phoebe, do they?" Prue asked quietly, looking at the floor as she asked this.

Though she didn't look at Leo while he spoke, she could sense that he was staring at her with a mixture of sympathy and understanding, and she knew she couldn't take that right now. "No, not exactly. But they aren't exactly keeping their feelings a secret. Phoebe is Cole's wife, not his prisoner. Whatever Cole is up to, they figure that she's in on it. Why wouldn't she be?"

"I don't know, Leo." Prue shrugged helplessly. "I'd like to think that Phoebe is fighting him, struggling to return to our side, but the fact of the matter is that...I agree with the Elders. It makes sense that she would stand by him. She's been under his influence for so long that I'm not even sure that she remembers what its like to be good."

Leo didn't reply, but Prue could sense that he could see where she was coming from. They remained silent for a while, both going over the hard truth that they might have to accept that they might never be able to save Phoebe.

"Where's Piper and Paige?" Leo asked after a while.

"I don't know. Maybe they went out to get some fresh air," Prue replied, grateful for a change of subject.

Leo nodded, seeing no fault in this. He stood up, probably feeling as though he could do with some fresh air as well. "Are you going to be okay?" he asked Prue.

Prue looked up at him and gave her brother-in-law what she hoped to be a genuine smile. "Yeah. I'll be fine."

But she wouldn't be fine. Not until Phoebe was safe at home, Cole was vanquished to the wasteland forever, and all four sisters were back to leading happy, normal lives.

She probably wouldn't be fine for a very, very long time.

* * *

When Piper came to, she forgot where she was. She wasn't in the manor, as was made abundantly clear by the dark surroundings, dank, musty smell, and several guards surrounding her. Then it all came back to her. She had Paige had orbed into the Underworld in search of Phoebe, but had found Cole instead.

She heard someone stir beside her, and turned around to find Paige struggling to open her eyes and get up. "Pi-Piper?" she muttered groggily.

"Right here," Piper replied. She stood up slowly but surely, wiping the dust off her clothes. She had no idea how they had wound up asleep after Cole found them, but she didn't want to stick around to find out.

"C'mon, Paige. We need to get out of here." She bent down and took Paige's elbow in her hands, helping her to her feet. "Are you okay to orb?"

Paige nodded with her eyes still shut. "Uh-huh."

"Okay. Let's do it before Cole gets back."

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Cole stated from the cave entrance, his voice dripping with amusement.

Piper turned to glare at him. Cole was dressed in a plain black robe, leaning against the cave wall with his arms crossed by his chest, an amused, satisfied smirk plastered on his face.

"And why not?" she snapped.

Cole straightened, holding his arms above his head in a showing gesture. "Because this cave prohibits orbing and other means of coming and going. Not to mention the particular cage you're in. I think you'll recognize it quite well."

He pointed to the ground, and Piper followed his gaze down to the floor, and discovered five white crystals, surrounding them at various intervals.

"Impressive, Cole. But you know these won't hold us for long," Piper replied, trying to keep her anger and frustration in check. She knew it would only make Cole even more amused and satisfied than he already was.

"Oh, I know. That's why I trapped you in this particular cave. Even if you somehow manage to get out of the crystal cage, you won't be going anywhere since the only way in or out is through these guards. And, I'm sorry to say, they're immune to your freezing powers," Cole explained patronizingly. He began circling the sisters, and Piper felt like the lamb right before the slaughter.

"So, until I decide it's time to let you go, you two aren't going anywhere."

"And when will that be?" Paige snapped, speaking up for the first time. "Before or after you kill your wife's sisters?"

Cole laughed. "So you're the one they replaced Phoebe with. A bit on the pale side, but I suppose you make up for it with your little half-whitelighter, half-witch powers. Tell me, do you like knowing that the only reason Prue and Piper bothered to find you was only so they could feel adequate enough to try to take me on?"

Paige didn't reply, though a new look crossed her features, one that Piper couldn't read.

Cole went on. "You realize, don't you, that if Phoebe was still a Charmed One, they wouldn't have even bothered tracking you down. Your mother didn't love you enough to keep you; why would you think her daughters wouldn't do the same?"

Paige flung herself at him, but was quickly stopped by the white sparks of the crystal cage, preventing her from moving forward.

Piper caught her before she could reach the ground, and glared at Cole with as much venom and hatred as she could muster. "You bastard! Don't you dare talk about our mother like that! She's Phoebe's mother, too."

Cole laughed, an evil, mirthless laugh. "I don't care if she was the Queen of England's mother. Everything I just said is true, and you both know it. Don't try to kid yourselves." He turned to go, but before he did, he turned to them once more. "And don't bother calling out for Phoebe. She won't be able to hear you, and all you'd gain is sore throats."

With that, he left, leaving Piper and Paige alone with the three surly guards who weren't paying them any attention.

"So what do we do now?" Paige asked, her tone soft and a little too broken for Piper's comfort.

"We bust out of here."


	24. Soul Into Hades

A/N: Thank you to all who reviewed, I appreciate it. Hopefully the next update will be soon, but since this week I'll be in the actual process of moving, I can't promise anything. But hopefully you won't have to wait too terribly long.

Thanks to **FanficFemale, kagomekikyo-arrow, Draco's-Loyal-Longing, Rocky, Another Phoebe, and SpeedDemon315 **for reviewing. Sorry I'm not replying individually again. Crunched for time.

* * *

_Chapter Twenty-Four_

'_I'm going to kill him!' _Phoebe thought irritatedly as she kicked a rock as hard as she could with her foot. She could not believe Cole. He had told her that he would be right back almost an hour ago. Where the hell was he? What the hell kind of business could there possibly be that required this much time? Sending demons to the surface to kill innocents took no more than a couple minutes tops. It wasn't like they needed convincing.

"If you are getting restless, I could accompany you for a little walk, if you wish," Maseras offered sweetly, though his sweetness was forced. Phoebe knew she'd pissed him off earlier. She scoffed and rolled her eyes.

"If I want to take a walk, I'll take it by myself, thanks," she hissed.

Maseras looked like he wanted to argue, but one look from Phoebe and he quickly shut his mouth. He turned and resumed his previous position at the entrance to the cave, blocking Phoebe's exit.

Oncoming footsteps approached a second later, and Maseras was violently pushed aside as Cole entered. Phoebe turned to face him. "Where the hell were you?" she snapped, all but spitting in his face.

Cole looked more amused than annoyed. "I was at a meeting."He moved past her as if that ended the conversation, but Phoebe wasn't ready to give up.

"A meeting? What kind of meeting keeps you away for almost an hour?" she snapped. "And why couldn't you involve me? I am your wife, after all."

"I didn't involve you because I knew you'd only be bored. It was all shop talk, and I didn't think it was anything that called for your attention," he replied patiently, sitting down in his chair and crossing his legs.

"Well still, the least you could've done was call." Phoebe crossed her arms and turned away from him, angry.

Though she couldn't see him, Phoebe knew he was more amused than guilty. She heard his footsteps as he walked over to her. He touched the back of her head and leaned down to kiss her cheek. "Sorry, baby. Won't happen again."

Though Phoebe knew he was lying and that it _would _happen again, she didn't say anything. It would go nowhere. She decided that, instead, she would go along with him.

After Cole dismissed Maseras, Phoebe followed him into his chambers. "So," she began, "what was the meeting about?"

"This and that," Cole replied automatically.

Phoebe rolled her eyes. "You were just there, Cole. I think you can do better than that."

"All right, if you really want to know. We were discussing some innocents that have been causing us some trouble. I thought it best to take of it quietly. I didn't want to say anything to you because...of your past. I didn't know how you'd react to it," he explained.

Phoebe's heart skipped a beat. She hadn't expected that answer, even though now it seemed as though it should have been obvious. What else would the Source of All Evil have to discuss with fellow demons? The stock market?

She looked up at him. Even now he was nearly impossible to read. He looked down at her and she couldn't tell whether he was annoyed that she was keeping him from something, or whether he was happy to see her. Cole had been keeping his emotions under lock and key lately.

Just as Phoebe was about to turn and let him go, he took hold of her hand and held it tightly in his own. "Phoebe, there is something I need to tell you."

She froze, but tried to hide it. Now she was able to read her husband clearly and he was definitely nervous. This wasn't going to be good. "Okay."

She let him lead her into their shared quarters and onto the bed. He didn't let go of her hand. It was as though he needed it to give him strength. "What is it?" she asked finally when he was obvious he wasn't going to begin the conversation.

Cole took a deep breath. "There is no easy way to say this, Phoebe, so I'm just going to come out and say it. I sold the penthouse."

For a second the words didn't seem to register. Phoebe felt as though he was talking to someone else instead of her. "Wait a minute. I don't understand. You did _what_?"

"I sold the penthouse," he repeated, his face turning slightly red.

Phoebe frowned, trying to decide where to begin. "Why the hell would you do a thing like that? Don't you think this was something we should've decided together?"

"I know, Phoebe, and normally you would be right. But...things weren't working up there."

"For who, Cole? I have no idea what you're talking about. I was happy up there. You seemed happy up there. Is this because of the Book of Shadows?" Phoebe asked, confused as to why she didn't sound angry. She definitely was angry. Furious, even. And she wanted Cole to know that.

"No. This has nothing to do with the Book of Shadows and everything to do with you and your sisters!" Cole exclaimed. He stood up and began pacing back and forth.

Phoebe followed suit and stood up. "My sisters? What do they have to do with anything?"

"Oh come on, Phoebe, don't lie to me. Ever since they summoned you back to the manor you've been acting different. More like a Charmed One and less like my queen! You've let them slowly take hold of you!" He sounded as though he'd been keeping this bottled up inside of him forever.

Phoebe's mouth seemed to drop to the ground in shock. "First of all, I didn't go to them, they reached out to me. Second of all, I can't believe for one second that you would think I'd choose them over you! That's ridiculous, you're my husband!"

"Oh yeah? Well, if I'm so wrong, Phoebe, then tell me why Piper was over here the other day?"

"How do you know about that?" Phoebe demanded.

Cole snorted irritatingly. "You think I don't know what goes on in my home? I know a lot more than you think. I know that your grandmother came to see you. I know that she tried to convince you that you didn't choose to be with me of your own free will. And I also know that she got to you."

At that Phoebe began to physically tremble in anger. "You have no idea what you're talking about."

"Then I suppose you and Piper were just discussing the weather," Cole said sarcastically.

"How many times do we have to go over this, Cole? I. Love. You. You're my husband, and I will stick by you no matter what. If I have to say that one more time..."

She was cut off by Cole's lips meeting hers. At first she resisted, not wanting him to think that this was all it would take for him to get off the hook. But it felt too good, and Phoebe was tired of fighting. She closed her eyes and returned the kiss. When he reluctantly pulled away she was disappointed.

He smiled playfully. "You took that much better than I thought you would. You have to understand that I did this for us. We're stronger this way. Does this mean we can never go back up? No. It just means that we need to be more careful. There are too many people who want to take it away from us."

His words warmed her, and she was suddenly reminded of all the reasons she loved him. She wrapped her arms around his torso and snuggled into him. "I know, baby. I know."

* * *

"This doesn't make any sense. They should've been back by now," Prue said angrily, slamming the Book of Shadows closed with more force than she had intended. But it got her point across. She looked up into the worried face of Leo. "Sorry," she added quietly.

"It's okay. I'm worried, too."

Prue stepped away from the pedestal that the book rested on. "Can you do your magical radar thing and see if you can sense them?"

Leo nodded. "I'm on it." He took a steadying breath and closed his eyes. Prue didn't know how Leo was able to use that particular power and, as always with seeing it in action, was envious of it. It was so much easier than scrying.

A minute later Leo opened his eyes, his expression grave. Not a good sign. "I can't sense them anywhere."

"So what does that mean?" Prue demanded, wringing her hands tightly absentmindedly as she always did whenever she was worried or anxious or scared. In this case all of the above.

"Either they're in the Underworld or..." Leo looked at the eldest Halliwell knowingly. He didn't need to finish the sentence for Prue to know what he was about to say.

"No, if that were the case I would've sensed it. Which means that they're Down There."

Both of their heads moved down. Prue brushed a loose strand of black hair away from her face impatiently. "Would you be able to sense them if you went down there?" She refused to wonder how Piper and Paige had ended up in the Underworld in the first place.

Leo nodded. "Yes. But if I go down there, I wouldn't be able to hear you if you call."

"I know, Leo. But how much trouble can I get into by myself?"

The memory of reporters and various crazy people lining the street and their front lawn as the result of her and her sisters being exposed as witches came to mind. "Okay, but if you hurry, that won't be an issue," Prue amended quickly.

"Still, I don't feel comfortable-"

"Leo, I'll be fine. But if Piper and Paige are in trouble, they'll need you more than I do right now," Prue interrupted.

"Are you sure?" Leo didn't look convinced.

Prue nodded. "I am. Believe me, the last thing we need is for more of us to be out of commission."

She watched as their whitelighter silently agreed and orbed out of the attic. It felt like deja vu with Leo going down to the Underworld to check on her sisters. She half expected to be chased into the street by a demon and be caught using her magic in public, right in front of a camera.

Shaking the mental image out of her mind, she left the attic and went downstairs to the kitchen to brew herself some tea. Anything to quench the unlimited amount of worry that now all of her sisters were in the Underworld. It was a weird feeling and Prue didn't like it at all.

Worse than that, though, was the inescapable truth that she was now helpless. All that was left to do was to wait.

* * *

Paige grumbled in annoyance. "If we ever get out of this, I'm never going to let you talk me into anything ever again."

"How many times do I have to say I'm sorry?" Piper asked.

"About a hundred more. If it weren't for you, we'd be at home right now coming up with a _safe _plan for rescuing Phoebe. Not wasting away in a cage designed to keep us from using magic. Our one defense."

"Will you stop it? We'll find a way out of here."

"How? There are guards all over the place, not to mention the fact that Cole probably has the place bugged so that he'd know if we escaped."

Piper gave her a pointed look. "We aren't helpless, you know. If Cole comes I'll freeze him. Or, if he gives me enough reason, I'll blow him up."

"That's sure to get Phoebe back to our side," Paige argued sarcastically.

"And keeping us prisoner is going to keep her love? Please. Cole has as much to lose as we do. Besides, Prue and Leo are probably wondering where we are. They'll come looking for us soon enough," Piper explained.

Paige shrugged. "Still, even if we do somehow manage to get out of this in one piece, don't think that lets you off the hook. You are in big trouble."

"Hey, don't forget that you agreed to this."

"Only because you forced me to."

"Splitting hairs."

"Whatever."

Both sisters crossed their arms and continued to pretend to be mad at each other. After a while, Piper spoke up. "You know, Paige, you're pretty amazing."

At this Paige raised an eyebrow, taken aback. "How?"

"Well, not that long ago you were just a normal woman with a normal job whose biggest concern was finding a date. Now you're a witch with sisters and you're pretty damn good at it. You've come a long way."

Paige couldn't help but smile at this. "Well, I wouldn't have gotten nearly this far if I hadn't had the right teacher."

She and Piper looked at each other and smiled, fight long forgotten.

"Don't worry. Somehow we'll get out of this," Piper said.

"Well, wake me up when we do." Paige slid the floor, bringing her knees up to her chin. She rested her head on them and let her eyes close. Who knew, maybe by the time she woke up, she'd be safe and sound back in her own bed.

Though she doubted it.


	25. Big News

A/N: I am so sorry for how long I took to get this out. I had to switch computers, and nothing I had was compatible to this website, so I wasn't able to update. Hopefully this chapter will make up for it at least a little bit.

Big thank yous to **FanficFemale, Bleu Feenix, lizardmomma, Another Phoebe, SpeedDemon315, BlackPuma137, JessicaKuran, and cursedgirl** for reviewing. Hopefully I'll see you guys again!

_

* * *

_

_Chapter Twenty-Five_

'_I shouldn't be doing this,'_ Leo thought to himself as he maneuvered through the Underworld in search of answers he wasn't sure he would find. He tried to keep his worry at bay, but so far it wasn't working. So much of all this didn't add up; Piper and Paige going to the Underworld, not telling Prue or himself where they were going, and not finding some way of letting them know they were okay. Prue, Phoebe, and maybe Paige, but not Piper. She would never let Leo worry like that.

So far he found the place deserted. In his experience, that was never good. That only meant that the demons and warlocks were up to something. He briefly thought of Prue, back in the manor alone and without the Power of Three. If anything happened to her while he was down here, he wouldn't be able to forgive himself. He thought about going back up and figuring out another way of finding Piper and Paige, or maybe even bring Prue down here with him, but quickly voided the idea. It felt like playing right into the demons hands with all four sisters in the Underworld. Exactly what Cole wanted, probably.

Telling himself that he was doing the right thing by being down here, Leo proceded on, walking slowly and as quietly as he could so he wouldn't alert the demons to his presence. He didn't know how long or how far he walked, but the more time he spent without approaching, hearing, or sensing a demon at all, the more worried he became. That meant they were converging, a sign that something big was about to happen.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, he heard voices.

"D'you think this was the Source's plan all along?"

"No, but with his wife no longer a Charmed One, and two of them locked up, why wouldn't he take the opportunity?"

"I just hope it works. It's about time those witches were killed, once and for all!"

"Yeah, me too. My only regret is not being able to kill them myself!"

The two male demons started laughing, and Leo felt his heart stop. _Piper! _The demons knew Piper and Paige were in the Underworld, which meant that they were either captured or were being followed. Which also meant that they knew Prue was alone. Alone and vulnerable.

Leo stopped in his tracks and closed his eyes, trying desperately to push his worry to the far reaches of his mind and focus instead on his wife and Paige, letting thoughts of only them fill his entire being. It wouldn't work if they weren't close by since his powers were drastically reduced in the Underworld, but he had to try. Everything was riding on him succeeding.

He felt relief as he sensed the sisters. It wasn't nearly as strong as he'd hoped for, but it was there, and that was all that mattered. Opening his eyes, he readied himself for action, refusing to be caught off guard should any demon or warlock spot him. Neither he nor the Charmed Ones could afford for him to fail.

Taking a deep breath, Leo moved from his hiding spot and hurried throughout the various caves, watching for the two demons he heard talking, as well as any others who might stand in his way. The deeper he went into the Underworld, the stronger his sense of Piper and Paige became. At least he knew he was going in the right direction, if nothing else.

After what felt like several hours, even though he knew it was really only half an hour or so, he could feel Piper and Paige as though they were standing right next to him. He pressed himself against the nearest cavern wall and prepared himself for the worst. After he counted to ten silently to himself and took a deep breath, he turned around to face whatever it was that waited for him.

He saw Piper and Paige in a cage, talking silently to themselves. Three guards were placed around it, all with their arms crossed and looking as though they were just waiting for a fight. Suddenly Leo wished Prue _was _with him after all. Her power would've been no match for them. Now, all he had was an orbing power and the ability to heal. Not very useful in busting his charges out of their prison.

He could tell without being told that the cage was built so that magic couldn't get out. Otherwise Leo knew that Paige would've orbed herself and Piper out of there long ago. The Elders had told him long ago that the demons had built various cages like that so that it would be practically impossible for their prisoners to escape. He had been warned of them since his first days of Whitelighter duty, but this was the first time he was been up against one of them.

Somehow he had to let Piper and Paige know he was here without alerting the guards. A tricky task to be sure, but Leo knew just how to do it.

He turned away from the room with the cage and closed his eyes again, focusing all his energy on getting a thought to Paige. Well, not really a thought. More like a premonition, although it technically wasn't that either. She had his power to sense as well, and if he could get her to somehow tap into that power, he could let her know that he was here. The trick was getting her to tap into it.

Unfortunately, he had no way of knowing if Paige was getting the message. She wasn't versed enough in her powers to give him 'visions' too. Besides that, he didn't have the power to have visions like some of the Elders did. No Whitelighter did.

When he was sure he did all he could, he peered over the side of the wall for any sign that Paige had gotten the message.

He saw her whisper something to Piper, and gestured for her not to say anything, so Leo assumed that she got the message. Now all that was left was figuring out a way to bust them out.

* * *

When Phoebe woke up the next morning, she felt like she was going to throw up. Not exactly the best way to start off the day. After finding out that Cole had sold their brand new penthouse that they hadn't even lived in for two months, Phoebe hadn't been in the best mood last night. Even when they had made up, which they always did after every fight, she wasn't sure she quite had it in her to forgive him. If he had discussed it with her before he went out and sold it, maybe she wouldn't have minded so much. But the fact that he had taken the liberty of doing it himself, and then just assuming that she would be okay with living in the Underworld. He knew very well that she didn't like it down here.

After laying in bed trying to keep her dinner from last night down, she got up, feeling that maybe she could get to the closet without feeling like she was on a boat. But then her mind went to the breakfast she knew she wasn't going to eat, and she found herself barely making it to her bathroom area before she threw up her dinner from last night.

After several minutes of feeling as though she were about to die, brushed her teeth extensively and managed to put on a black knee-high dress since it was one of the only things in her wardrobe she could wear without putting any effort into it. She didn't think she had enough strength to walk.

When she left her chambers and entered the living area she found her least favorite demon sitting on their sofa as though he lived there. Maseras looked up at her as she entered and flashed her a toothy grin which she wanted to wipe off his face.

"Have a good night?"

Phoebe definitely did not have the strength to deal with him today. "Let me make something absolutely clear, okay? You will not address me unless I address you. You will not look at me, talk to me, smile at me. I'm still debating whether or not I want you to _breathe the same air _I do. And I definitely don't want you sitting on my furniture. Got it?"

This didn't have the desired effect she was aiming for. In fact, Maseras now seemed even more pleased with himself than before. "I hate to have to be the one to tell you this, _My Queen," _he said, saying the last two words with as much sarcasm as he possibly could. "But the Source has requested my presence here for your own protection. I don't go anywhere you don't go, so I suggest you get used to it because there isn't anything you can do about it."

"We'll see about that." Mustering up what was left of her strength, Phoebe strode past him and headed towards the cave that Cole used to conduct meetings in. She didn't have to look behind her to know that the slimy demon was right behind her.

"Cole!" she yelled once she got there.

"Phoebe," Cole said in shock. "What are you doing here?"

Not caring that she had an audience, she marched right up to him. "I do not want a demon to follow my every move, and I definitely do not want it to be _him,_" she snapped, pointing her thumb behind her to Maseras, whose sneer widened as he waved to everybody.

Cole glanced around him to the demons who were watching the display with more than their share of amusement. He leaned his head down to meet Phoebe's. "Phoebe, we can discuss this later. Right now I'm in the middle of a very important meeting..."

"Save it, Cole. Okay? I don't care. I just want that demon out of my sight."

Cole rubbed his temples, looking even more agitated than Phoebe felt. "We have had this conversation, Phoebe. There are countless other demons out there who are just waiting for an opportunity to wipe us out and get their shot to run things down here. Maseras is only here to make sure that doesn't happen to you. No matter what he does, he is here to protect you, so until I think that there is nothing more to worry about, he stays. Okay?"

Phoebe knew the only reason Cole wasn't losing it was that he didn't want to appear weak in front of the other demons, and that he would probably want to discuss it further once the meeting was over and they were back in the privacy of their own quarters. So she nodded and left, glaring at everyone as she left as though asking them to laugh at or defy her.

"See, My Queen? You're stuck with me. He tells you that it's for your own protection, but you ought to know better. He doesn't trust you. He's afraid you're going to betray him. It doesn't matter how many times you go to him, in the end, he'll always keep me around because he trusts me more than you. His own _wife._" He spat the last word as though it burned him to say it.

Not wanting to give him the satisfaction of thinking he had gotten to her, Phoebe didn't say anything. She just turned on her heel and went back to her quarters, knowing Cole's henchman was right behind her.

* * *

"I get what you're saying, Paige. I really do. But I still don't understand how we're going to get out without the guards seeing," Piper said for what felt like the umpteenth time. Earlier, when Paige told her about her vision about Leo being down here to save them, Piper hadn't been sure what to make of it. But now she was so desperate to get out of there that she didn't really care how, as long as they did.

She had to admit that she was a little fuzzy on how they were going to bust out. It couldn't be with magic since the cage was specifically designed to keep magic from leaving. It would have to be the old fashioned way. And that particular little detail wasn't exactly making Piper's confidence rise.

"Just follow Leo's lead. If it works, you'll be kicking yourself for not figuring it out first," Paige replied. The tone of her voice as she spoke helped Piper's confidence a little.

Only a little.

"If you say so. I would still feel a whole lot better about this whole thing if I knew just what this so-called plan actually was."

"I can't tell you," Paige whispered, lowering her voice even softer so that the guards couldn't hear their conversation. "We can't risk them finding out." She pointed to the three guards, who hadn't moved all day.

Piper shrugged. "As long as it gets us out of here, I really don't care."

Paige gave her a half-hearted smile and turned to face the front of the cage. "We shouldn't have to wait much longer."

Piper didn't say anything. She wanted to save all her strength for busting out of here. The more she dwelled on it, the harder she kicked herself for ever thinking that this trip to the Underworld would make a difference. It wasn't as though they would've found Phoebe anyway. If Cole wanted them hidden, they weren't going to be found. So far, everything about this trip was a complete waste, and she hated the feeling that went with that.

"Hey, who are-?" one of the guards stopped mid-sentence as some sort of dust fell on him. Piper saw it through the corner of her eye. When she turned she saw Leo, his hand held in the blow-a-kiss position with a guilty yet determined expression on his face.

"Leo," Piper began, but Leo held up a hand to stop her. She nodded in understanding. So far he had hit only one of the guards with the memory dust. He still had two guards to deal with. And, judging from their hardened expressions, they wouldn't be willing for him to do the same.

"Be careful," Piper said as she watched the two remaining guards begin circling her husband. She wished now more than ever that she had never gotten herself and Paige into this jam and put everyone's lives at risk. And it wasn't fair that she wasn't even able to use her powers to help him. If they got out of this, she decided that she would get him something special.

Leo took out some more memory dust from his pocket, watching the circling guards for an opportunity to use it without them throwing an energyball or fireball at him. He didn't have much of a defense; orbing out wasn't exactly the most active of all powers.

Somehow he managed to get one more guard in the face. Piper watched the two who had been hit in amusement. They went from fighting and dangerous to still and almost peaceful looking, waiting for Leo's order to forget that any of them were ever here.

The other guard wasn't being so easy to defeat. He had his hands up, ready to throw energyballs at him whenever he tried to get even remotely close enough to throw the dust in his face. Then Paige blurted out, "Leo, tell the others to bring him to you!"

Piper nodded encouragingly, and Leo did as Paige suggested. When the others brought over the strugging guard, Leo didn't waste any time in dusting him.

"You're going to open this cage. You're going to let Piper and Paige go. And you're going to forget they, and I, were ever here," Leo ordered them.

The three guards nodded and turned in unison to the cage door. The first one waved his hand to unlock it while the other two opened it, keeping the door wide enough that the sisters could easily fit through it.

"Thanks, Leo," Paige whispered once they were both out.

"Thank me when we get home. Right now we need to focus on getting out of here," Leo replied, ushering them both out of the cave and as far away as possible. Once they were all sure they were alone, Leo put a hand on each of the sisters' shoulders. Piper felt the familiar sensation of her body turning into bright white lights as Leo led them out of the Underworld and towards safety.

Once they materialized the the living room of the manor, they were greeted by a harrassed looking Prue, who was standing by the window with her arms crossed. Piper readied herself for a full-blown attack.

"What the _hell _were you two thinking?" Prue snapped in greeting.

Piper looked down, suddenly ashamed of her rash decision, but Paige was the one who defended it, much to her surprise. "We were thinking of trying to save Phoebe."

"At the expense of your lives?" Prue retorted instantly.

"But we had to do something. Cole has Phoebe, and the fact that she's evil doesn't matter. Not right now. No one deserves to be down in the Underworld. She's our sister. We couldn't just do nothing," Paige shot back.

She gave Piper an encouraging smile, probably to let her know that the fight that they'd had earlier was forgotten between them.

"Still, Paige. The least you could have done was tell me what you were doing. I think I deserved that much."

"It wasn't just Paige, Prue. In fact, it wasn't even her idea. I suggested we go down to the Underworld and try to find Phoebe. Sitting and waiting for an answer didn't feel right to me," Piper spoke up, earning another smile from Paige.

Prue sighed. "It's not that I don't think you guys did the right thing. I do. But not knowing where you guys were opened up some old wounds. Wounds that aren't exactly healed all the way."

Piper nodded and went over to give her older sister a hug. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you. I wasn't sure how you'd react. Forgive me?"

It only took Prue a second to nod and return Piper's hug. "Yes, I forgive you. But next time, tell me, okay?"

Piper nodded again, "Deal."

* * *

"Thanks for seeing me, doctor. I know I haven't been seeing you lately, but I didn't know who else to call."

Phoebe tried to keep down the trepidation she'd had ever since she'd 'orbed' up above ground with the Darklighter power she hadn't used since getting them to the doctor's office. Before she'd done that she went to a grocery store and bought a pregnancy test just to rule that possibility out. She'd done all the necessary steps, waited while the test processed, and saw the result. And now, an hour later, she was here, getting a second opinion.

"Well, Ms. Halliwell, I have your results right here. I can tell you myself or you can read the papers yourself," the doctor answered, gesturing to the papers he had in his hand.

"Just tell me," Phoebe ordered, deciding these kinds of things were best handled like a band-aid. It was best to rip it off at once, that way it was over and done with.

The doctor then smiled widely, and Phoebe slowly felt her hope escape her like car fumes. "You're pregnant."


	26. New Alliances

A/N: Sorry again for the long wait. Sometimes you just need to take a step back in order to regain your muse. Plenty more to come, I promise!

Big thanks to **FanficFemale, kagomekikyo-arrow, BelovedSlayer, StreetButterfly09, Another Phoebe, **and** SpeedDemon315 **for reviewing! Thanks for sticking with this story, I promise it won't disappoint!

* * *

_Chapter Twenty-Six_

Cole was not looking forward to going back to his lair. Not because he didn't want to see his wife. He did. But he wasn't in the mood to get into another fight. Lately it seemed that was all they did and he was sick of it. He had hoped the fighting would stop once he got Phoebe back in the Underworld; once she was out of her sisters' influences.

He honestly did not know what it was that had changed so quickly. One minute they were Cole and Phoebe: Powerful Source and Queen of All Evil. People to be respected. Feared. Now they were Cole and Phoebe: On the Brink of Disaster. He had no idea how it had gotten this bad this fast, but he did know one thing.

He wouldn't let Phoebe go without a fight.

Cole didn't sense that was what Phoebe wanted, though. Throughout their many fights, Phoebe had always remained firm that she still loved him. And Cole still loved Phoebe as much as the night they'd gotten married.

So what the hell had changed?

The minute he stepped foot inside the large cavern he and Phoebe shared, he knew something was wrong.

It was too quiet.

"Phoebe?" Cole called out uncertainly.

He walked deeper inside the cavern, brushing his fingertips across the black suede sofa, as though he thought he could somehow channel Phoebe's old premonition power and see where she was. "Phoebe, honey, are you here?"

No answer. Cole felt his irritation growing. Out of the corner of his eye Cole spotted what looked to be a leg sticking out of the entrance to their bedroom. He knew immediately that it was not Phoebe. The leg was too bulky and muscular, and it was wearing man's pants.

It was Maseras. He was unconscious with a massive bump forming on the back of his head. At first Cole feared that some rogue demon had busted in and taken his wife, but then realized this could not be the case. Phoebe was too smart to let some stray demon take her. And besides that, any demon who busted in would not have knocked the Source's bodyguard/advisor on the bead.

No, Phoebe must have done this. Cole knew she hadn't liked having Maseras around all the time. She had complained on more than one occasion about the lack of privacy. She must have wanted or needed to go somewhere alone.

"Get up," Cole demanded the unconscious demon.

Maseras woke instantly. When he saw the Source towering over him, his eyes widened and he jumped to his feet.

"My Liege...she knocked me out! I had no time to stop her...she-"

Cole cut him off. "I don't want to hear excuses. You let her out of your sight, and now there's no telling what kind of danger she's in! I promise you, Maseras, if anything happens to her, anything at all, I'll do worse than vanquish you! I can do all kinds of things to make your life a living hell!"

Maseras gulped and bowed his head. "I'm sorry, my lord. It won't happen again."

"You're damn right about that..."

A black swarm suddenly appeared in the middle of the room, accompanied by the sound on usually hears when a darklighter materializes. Cole turned around just in time to see Phoebe, her hand clutching her stomach and her face as pale as a ghost.

He opened his mouth to demand where she had been, but stopped himself upon seeing how...shaken she looked.

"Phoebe? Are you okay?" Cole asked quietly, moving carefully towards her.

Phoebe looked up at him as though noticing him for the first time. "What?"

"Are you okay?" Cole repeated, gently taking her arm and leading her to the sofa.

"Um..." Phoebe hesitated. She looked as though she had something to say that she knew Cole wouldn't like.

"Tell me," Cole insisted, trying to keep his tone calm and light.

"I'm pregnant."

Judging from Phoebe's wide eyes and frozen expression, Cole guessed that she hadn't meant to blurt it out like that.

Time seemed to stop. Cole was trying to process what his wife had just said, but the words hadn't sunk in yet. He wanted to believe that Phoebe was just yanking his chain, but one look at her face told him this was no joke. This was real.

Cole sank down into the coach beside Phoebe. He knew it wasn't a smart thing to let Maseras see him looking so vulnerable, but he couldn't help it. Phoebe's news felt like a blow to the stomach. He felt like he'd just had all the air knocked out of him. It took him a few minutes to catch his breath long enough to start saying sensible words again.

"Are you sure?" he asked.

Phoebe nodded. "I just came from the doctor's. I missed my period, which isn't normal, and took two pregnancy tests. When they both came back positive, I wanted a formal opinion so I went to Dr. Williams...I've known him for years. He did some blood work, and that's when he told me. I'm pregnant."

Cole was speechless. Phoebe hadn't even told him she'd taken one pregnancy test, let alone all this. Now that it had sunk in a little bit-not too much though-all the possible times they could have conceived felt like a slap in the face. Of course Phoebe was pregnant. How could he have not seen this coming?

"Phoebe this is...this is great!" he finally exclaimed.

Cole thought he saw the corners of his wife's lips lift. "You do?"

"Well yes! I'm going to be a father. You're going to be a mother. Phoebe...we're gonna be parents!"

"Yes, Cole, that's generally what having a baby means," Phoebe stated with amusement.

"I'm going to have an heir! _We're _going to have an heir! I don't even care whether it's a boy or a girl! Our line is going to continue," Cole continued, rising from the couch. That was when he noticed that Maseras was still there, standing in the corner of the room, silent.

"Leave us. And don't breath a word of this to anyone. We're going to announce the news later," Cole warned.

Maseras nodded his head once in understanding then shimmered out, leaving husband and wife alone.

* * *

Prue entered the kitchen, fully expecting it to be like any other day with her being the first one up, making the coffee, inhaling a quick breakfast while getting ready for work. What she hadn't expected was to find Piper had beat her to it. The coffee was already made, the paper was in, and there were two eggs waiting for her in a skillet on the stove.

Piper looked up and smiled at her. "Morning."

"Morning," Prue replied, frowning. Piper was reading the newspaper-something she rarely did- with her coffee already half gone, eating her eggs as though she didn't have a care in the world. "What are you doing up?"

Piper feigned confusion. "Why shouldn't I be up?"

Prue gave her a look, which Piper returned with another smile. "You know what I mean. Couldn't sleep?" she guessed.

Piper shrugged. "Sorta. Mostly I just felt bad for making you worry while Paige and I were...you know. I wanted to make it up to you."

"So you made me eggs?" Prue felt herself break out a small smile.

Piper laughed. "It's my way of saying I'm sorry. You know, in case you hadn't gotten the point yesterday. I thought you were going to have an aneurism when we returned."

Prue shook her head. "Forget about it. If it hadn't been you, it would have been me. The truth is, I've been thinking of going down there myself. Ever since we first found out that Phoebe was down there in the first place."

Piper nodded, not looking surprised by this. "Would you go down there now?"

Prue looked at her younger sister in surprise. "I don't know. Perhaps not so soon. I mean, you and Paige barely managed to escape. Who's to say Cole's not down there right now waiting for us to try again? I think, if we ever try this again, and mind you this is a _very _big if, we need to wait it out. Lay low for a while."

"You really think they'd expect us again so soon?"

Prue shrugged. "I don't really know what I think anymore. All of this has escalated so much...I just don't know. Can I be completely honest with you?"

Piper nodded.

"This whole situation is so screwed up. I mean, I don't even know what to expect anymore. Demons haven't attacked in so long, which makes me think that Phoebe still cares about us, but every time we see her, it's just another reminder to me of how much I failed."

"You didn't fail-"

"Yes." Prue cut her off. "Yes, I did. If I had done my job, Phoebe would still be here. Plain and simple. You know what it comes down to? Us being careless and stupid. We should have known better than to use our powers in broad daylight. How could we have been so naive to think that no one would see?"

"Uh, Prue, what are you talking about?" Piper asked, confusion all over her face.

Prue smiled sadly. "When we followed Shax into the street that day. I know neither of us remembers doing it, but we did. We knew vanquishing him required the Power of Three. Phoebe reading the spell alone wouldn't have sent him away for good. We should have known that. We should never have let her go down to the Underworld, we shouldn't have used our powers in public, and we definitely shouldn't have listened to Leo when he said Phoebe was safer with Cole. What the hell were we thinking?"

She had meant it to be a rhetorical question, yet she still half hoped Piper would offer an answer. Any answer, just so she wouldn't feel like the giant let down she knew in her heart she was. It was all too much to handle. No wonder Phoebe had turned evil. If she had been stuck in the Underworld, surrounded by demons, and her sisters had just left her down there, she might have turned evil too. As far as Prue knew, Cole had never left Phoebe when she needed him most.

But Prue was disappointed yet again. "I don't know, Prue. Everything that happened made sense at the time. If we hadn't gone after Shax, he might have harmed another innocent. Who's to say he wouldn't have attacked the news crew who taped us that day?"

"How do we know he even would?"

"Well, he appeared in that street, and that news crew was there. As far as we know, they were the only innocents on that street. He wouldn't have appeared just to walk in the sun," Piper pointed out.

Prue nodded. "I know. You're right. It's all just so much to handle. The whole situation is a mess. And quite frankly, I don't know what to do anymore. We've tried everything, but nothing seems to work. I don't want to give up on Phoebe, but I don't know what else to do. How can we save someone who doesn't want to be saved?"

This time it was Piper's turned to offer a sad smile. "We can't."

Prue looked down at her lap. "Then what can we do?"

"I don't know. Maybe you're right. Maybe the best thing we can do right now is lay low. We've been focusing on this for so long that we've probably lost perspective on it. If we let it go for a while and come back later refreshed and rejuvenated, maybe we'll know what to do," Piper said, sounding as helpless and defeated as Prue ever remembered her being.

Prue stood up, laying a comforting hand on Piper's shoulder as she passed by her to pour herself another cup of coffee. She didn't know if abandoning this for the time being was the right thing to do, but she knew they weren't getting anywhere fast doing what they were doing. She felt horrible about giving up like this, but Piper was right. Coming back refreshed would definitely do them all some good.

"How do you think Paige and Leo are going to take it?" Prue wondered as she sat back down.

"I don't know. Not well, probably. But we're out of options, even they have to realize that," Piper replied.

Prue nodded. They sat in silence for a while, each of them finishing their breakfast. When Prue was finished she took both hers and Piper's plates and dumped them in the sink. "I'll be at work. Call if you need anything."

She saw Piper nod out of the corner of her eye. She felt like she had to say something else, but she didn't know what to say that would make either of them feel any better. So she did the only thing she could.

She left.

* * *

"Hey!" The demon bellowed as Maseras shimmered in front of him.

Maseras jumped the demon, grabbing him by the throat and slamming him into the wall behind him. "Quiet yourself, Danix! You want yourself killed?"

The demon known as Danix, though still breathing heavily, shook his head, indicating he would be quiet. Carefully Maseras let go of the rather young and attractive looking demon. Though still keeping watchful eyes on each other, they both backed away and gave each other some space.

"Maseras. What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be off babysitting the queen?" Danix sneered, mocking the demon before him.

"That is why I've come." He took a seat in a chair nearby, putting one leg across the other in a rather casual manner. Danix remained standing, frowning.

"Our queen," Maseras too sneered at the word, "is with child."

"What?" Danix gaped at Maseras, and began crossing and uncrossing his arms.

Maseras nodded. "It's true. I just found out. The Source is with her now. Apparently it was quite unexpected. The Source is ecstatic, as is to be expected. The queen, however, doesn't seem to share his excitement."

"So what does that have to do with me?" Danix demanded.

"If that _Charmed One," _Maseras spat the last two words with as much force as possible, "delivers that child, it will be the Source's heir. And since it will be half-human, like his father, it can also reproduce. Which means that they can carry down the line for generations to come. And we will never be able to become the Source."

Danix scoffed. "You may have a death wish, Maseras, but I don't. With the powers those two possess, you'd be lucky to stand one minute against them."

Maseras rolled his eyes. "I don't wish to go against our liege. I wish to kill his queen. Together they might be unstoppable, but separate them, and they are weaker. Not weak, mind you, just weaker. Weak enough that we might stand a chance if we gather enough demons."

"Why would you do that? Have you forgotten that the queen is a former Charmed One? No one who has gone up against them has lived to tell the tale. And besides that, if we went up against her, the Source would kill us for sure!" Danix exclaimed.

"Not if we're careful. To do so now would be reckless, but if we band together and gather a few more upper level demons, we might stand a chance!"

"So you plan to go up against your boss, destroy his queen and unborn child, just for the chance to become the Source yourself?" Danix questioned.

Maseras nodded impatiently.

"What makes you think I'd risk my life to help you?" Danix asked, walking up to him and getting just an inch away from his face.

"Because it's either you help me, or serve some half-demon, half-human abomination of a Source in the years to come," Maseras replied simply, pushing Danix away from him.

"But the Source now is half-human and you don't seem to have a problem with that," Danix pointed out sourfully.

Maseras sighed as though the answer to this was obvious. "He also used to be Belthazor. And Belthazor was a great demon before he succumbed to the love of a witch."

"He isn't Belthazor anymore."

"Enough!" Maseras bellowed. "There are plenty of demons who will jump at the chance to kill the Source's beloved queen. Either join me or prepare to get vanquished yourself."

Danix sighed. "I'm with you. But don't for one second think I'm doing it for you."

Maseras smirked knowingly. "I don't."

Danix rolled his eyes, hating that he was agreeing to answer to Maseras who was, once upon a time, lower on the food chain than he was. "So what's our first move? _Boss?" _he asked, exaggerating the last word.

"You'll see. But first, we need to get some old enemies out of our way."


	27. Secrets and Surprise Guests

A/N: Sorry for the delay. I know it's taking forever, and I know I say this a lot but these updates WILL happen more frequently. It's been a crazy end of the year, hasn't it? Wishing everyone a Happy New Year.

**FanficFemale: **It was only a matter of time before Maseras rebelled. He isn't the type to sit in someone else's shadow. You'll see more of him next chapter.

**ButterflyEyes24: **Next chapter you'll see more of Maseras's plan. Glad you liked it!

**thetempest11: **Glad you liked it.

**SpeedDemon315: **Hey, better late than never! There's going to be a lot more Phoebe/Cole action in the future, and there's more to Maseras's plan in the chapters to come. Hope you stick with it!

* * *

_Chapter Twenty-Seven_

"Tell me again why you think this is a good idea." Cole just pulled on his black Source's cloak and it billowed darkly behind him. Phoebe looked up into his blazing brown eyes and thought of the unborn child she now knew she was carrying. Would their child have those eyes?

"Because they deserve to know," Phoebe replied, turning her gaze to the floor. She knew Cole wouldn't take that well. Ever since they relocated back to the Underworld (not that he had ever really liked any of them), it seemed as though his animosity towards her sisters had more than tripled. They hardly ever discussed them anymore, and when they did his face would become red and he usually vanquished the nearest demon.

"They deserve to know you're carrying the next Source? Yeah, they're going to love that when you tell them," Cole scoffed.

Phoebe tried to keep her patience in check. She knew her husband could never understand the bond that, whether they liked it or not, remained between her sisters and her. "No. They deserve to know they're going to be aunts to a niece or nephew," she answered, sounding more patient than she felt.

Cole was silent. He looked as though he were digesting her words. Phoebe looked at him and all of a sudden found the man whom she'd first fell in love with. Before she knew he was Belthazor and thought he was a very hot district attorney. Why couldn't he have been that man? Why couldn't they have just been an ordinary couple with all the trials and tribulations ordinary couples endured? Phoebe longed for the life where her biggest problem was knowing whether or not the man she loved was truly committed to her. Well, she'd lived that life for a brief period of time before she was a Charmed One. And it hadn't been all that fun anyway.

"Why can't we celebrate the good news ourselves first? Do we really have to involve your sisters right away?" Cole asked after a brief silence. "Let's not tell anyone. Not your sisters, not any other demons or warlocks. Let's just take a couple of days and celebrate the expansion of our family."

Our family. Phoebe's heart fluttered in her chest. It was the first time Cole vocally called himself a member of her family. Although Phoebe never vocalized what they were any more than Cole had, she realized now that it was something she'd been longing to hear.

Phoebe looked up into Cole's eyes and found him looking at her, am amused smile on his face. It looked so out of character for someone who was the Source of All Evil, wearing a black cloak.

"What?" he asked, his smile evident in his tone.

Phoebe returned Cole's smile with one of her own. "Nothing. But it's too late to keep the news to ourselves, isn't it? I mean, Maseras was in the room when I told you."

Cole brushed off Phoebe's concern. "Don't worry about Maseras. If he knows what's good for him he won't disobey my orders. But even if he does it doesn't matter. Soon enough I will make sure everyone knows about our baby."

"Even my sisters?" Phoebe replied with a shadow of doubt.

Cole's eye twitched and he seemed to be fighting off some choice words, but he quickly covered it up, but not before Phoebe noticed. "Especially your sisters. Besides the fact that they will be our baby's aunts, they'll also soon discover, hopefully once and for all, that you and I mean business, and that we are here to stay."

Phoebe opened her mouth to argue, but then a rush of memories and feelings overcame her. She felt as though her premonition power had returned to her at last, and she was back in the manor, standing in the attic after being summoned. She remembered seething as Piper asked her whether or not they should bother saving her. She remembered the looks on her sisters' faces as she successfully took the Book of Shadows. She remembered the conversation she had with the ghost of Grams about how she hadn't made the decision to be with Cole on her own. And she also remembered how her sisters hadn't even bothered going down to the Underworld to try to rescue her when she' truly needed it. Right after Shax had attacked them along with Dr. Griffith. Cole had been the only one who'd been there for her and kept her alive.

Cole's voice snapped her out of her reminiscing. "Phoebe? Are you okay?"

"Yeah. You're right, honey. Maybe we should wait until we find the perfect moment to tell my sisters."

* * *

Paige couldn't take much more of this.

Prue and Piper hadn't talked about Phoebe for a week now, and it didn't look as though they were going to. Whenever the three of them talked, it was about unimportant things like groceries and work. Paige couldn't remember the last time a demon attacked so they rarely even talked about magic at all.

It was almost as though they weren't Charmed Ones anymore.

Prue had been extra cautious of her and Piper ever since they came back from the Underworld. While Paige firmly held to the story that it had been just as much her idea as it had been Piper's, Prue seemed to keep a very close eye on them, almost as though she were afraid they'd go off and try their little endeavor again. Whenever Prue walked into a room with Piper and Paige, she'd want to know what they were talking about, and never seemed to be convinced when they told her. Paige hated to admit it, but she felt as though ever since Phoebe had gone down to the Underworld, Prue was becoming more and more paranoid.

She'd long since given up discussing it with Piper. Every time Paige brought up the idea, Piper would dismiss them and tell her she didn't know Prue like she did. She would tell Paige that Prue was just being cautious and never liked repeating her mistakes. But Paige knew these were only excuses, but never let the conversation get any further than that because she was never in the mood to get into a full blown argument.

Now, however, Paige felt as though she was reaching her breaking point. Nothing she said could ever talk Prue and Piper out of whatever decision they'd made without her, and Leo kept saying this was between them. He never wanted to get in the middle of the sisters, even if he secretly took sides. Paige could never be one hundred percent certain about which side he was on.

Paige knew Leo was spending a lot of his time helping his other charges. With no demon attacks at Halliwell Manor and the sisters not having much luck getting Phoebe back, the Elders tasked him with charges that needed him more than the Charmed Ones did. None of the sisters were particularly happy about it, but there wasn't much they could do about it.

Paige pulled up to the manor in her green VW Bug after a particularly emotional day at work. They'd taken a little girl who was being abused by her parents out of the home while the social workers were investigating and the girl had done nothing but cry all day. Paige had tried everything to get her to calm down but nothing had worked. All she wanted was to see her parents. It made Paige think of her own parents and how much she missed them.

_No, _Paige reminded herself, brushing the tears angrily from her eyes. _Stop thinking about it. What happened, happened and there's nothing you can do to change it. _Her words were in vain, of course. No matter how hard she tried she couldn't ever push that terrible day from her mind.

She looked up at the red Victorian manor out of the passenger side window and tried to work up her courage to get out of her car. She knew what she'd find once she went inside. Her sisters acting falsely cheerful as they took turns trying to convince each other that everything was fine. They always ignored the huge elephant in the room that was Phoebe and whenever it looked as though the conversation was steering in that direction they quickly turned it to something else. Paige didn't know if she had enough strength to deal with it today.

But she did know that she had no other options, so she grabbed her purse and the new file on the little girl from today-she had to learn her name-and walked up the stone steps to the manor.

When she went inside she heard a newswoman's voice from the television coming from the living room. Wanting more than anything to go upstairs to her room and avoid Prue and Piper altogether, she turned into the living room and plastered a smile on her face.

Prue and Piper were sitting together on the sofa, their faces expressionless as they listened to the woman on the TV talk about some fog that San Francisco was to expect later that week. Neither of them noticed Paige come in.

"Did you have the day off?" Paige asked finally, holding her file to her chest.

Prue and Piper both looked up. Piper offered a weak smile her way.

"Hey, Paige."

Prue nodded her answer. "Yeah, I did. What's that?" She indicated the folder Paige was holding.

"Oh, just a new charge." Paige really didn't want to talk about her day with her sisters. She hoped they wouldn't want her to divulge any more than that.

Prue nodded. "Any ideas about dinner?"

Paige could feel her blood pressure rising and she had a strong urge to slap both her sisters and yell at them. _Stop asking stupid questions and ask ourselves the most important question of all! What are we supposed to do about Phoebe? _She was still angry at them for deciding to take this little hiatus without talking to her first, but she didn't let them know because she didn't want to start any drama. They already had enough of it.

Instead, she did the only thing she could do. She answered. "I'll start it."

* * *

Piper watched her younger sister trudge upstairs, doing her best to hide her disappointment. She couldn't blame Paige; she was disappointed too. With every passing day that they weren't discussing a plan to get Phoebe back, Piper's guilt grew. It had been both her and Prue's decision to take a step back and let inspiration come, but Piper was starting to think that maybe it had been mistake. She felt bad about not including Paige, but she knew what Paige would've said if she had been part of the discussion.

_"We can't give up on Phoebe. The longer we leave her down there, the stronger Cole's hold over her becomes, and soon it will be too late."_

Piper didn't think that was true, but she did think that that Phoebe was becoming more comfortable in her new life. At first, when Piper wasn't angry at Phoebe for abandoning them and her destiny, she had been convinced that Phoebe would eventually come to her senses and come back. But with the days turning into weeks, the more Piper was beginning to realize that maybe she'd been wrong.

Piper had thought she'd made some progress back when Grams had talked her into visiting Phoebe at her and Cole's penthouse apartment. Phoebe had actually sounded more like her old self. But after Cole had taken her back down to the Underworld...it felt as though all that progress had been a waste. And she didn't know what to do anymore.

_But, _Piper reminded herself for what felt like the hundredth time, _this is a two way street. Phoebe could make the effort to communicate to us. It isn't as though she doesn't have the magic and the know-how to do it. _

They still didn't know whether Phoebe had been forced back to the Underworld or taken by Cole, but Piper had a pretty good idea that Phoebe knew. She was married to the man, after all. It seemed absurd that he could've sold the apartment without her knowing about it.

_Still, though. She could've at least tried to talk to us. We were all making progress. At least, I was. _

Piper caught Prue looking at her out of the corner of her eye and Piper tried to look convincing as she watched the TV. None of the words registered as she kept up the pretense of watching the weather. She couldn't let Prue know she was thinking of Phoebe. Phoebe was Prue's sore subject lately, and ever since they'd decided to take a break, Piper felt as though she were walking on eggshells around her older sister.

Prue had become nearly unbearable ever since that day. She kept saying she had forgiven Piper and Paige for going down to the Underworld, but Piper didn't think she had. Prue was more upset that they hadn't included her. And the Book of Shadows being in Phoebe's possession only added to the sisters' feelings of helplessness. Piper had half a mind to go upstairs and talk to Paige about what else they could try because she knew Paige was going crazy with their lack of motivation, but didn't because she was afraid of what Prue might do if she found out.

Piper didn't know what Prue was waiting for, but she did know that she had to do something to break through the shell she'd been hiding in for the past week. Paige was already at her wit's end, and it was only a matter of time before Piper reached hers.

"I'm going to take a quick shower, then I'll help Paige with dinner. Do you need anything?" Piper asked, standing up.

Prue shook her head and picked up the remote, changing the channel. Piper hesitated, uncomfortable with Prue's state of being, but she knew she was of no use sitting around not doing anything. She turned and headed upstairs. She passed by Paige's room, disturbed by the silence. Piper considered going in to see if her younger sister was okay, but decided against it. She had something else that needed to be done.

She crept slowly up the staircase leading to the attic, not wanting anyone to know what she was doing. When she got to the attic she ignored the empty pedestal the Book of Shadows was usually on, grateful that she had memorized this particular spell. She opened the wooden trunk they kept their supplies in and took out five white candles, placing them in a circle. It was her turn to summon Grams.

She stood a few feet away from the circle, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. This was for Prue's own good. Hopefully Prue will come to see it that way too.

_'Here these words, here my cry_

_Spirit from the other side._

_Come to me, I summon thee,_

_Cross now the great divide.'_

A swirl of bright lights came out of nowhere and entered the circle. Piper watched, hoping Grams wouldn't give her a lecture on their decision to temporarily stop trying to get Phoebe out of the Underworld.

But the person who had been summoned inside the circle wasn't Grams.

It was their mother.


	28. The Best Laid Plans

**A/N: **Hey, better late than never, right? As I have said before, so terribly sorry for the long wait. I don't really have anything to say except that this second semester of school is already getting the best of me.

Tons of thank you's to those of you who have reviewed. A quick note to **Another Phoebe: **Yes, Phoebe did leave it at the penthouse. That was an error on my part, not yours. Glad you caught the mistake though!

Anyway, on with the story! Hope you all like!

* * *

_Chapter Twenty-Eight_

Piper's mouth hung open in shock. This was the last person she'd expected to summon. Not that her mother hadn't shown up unannounced before; the last time she'd seen her was when Phoebe first disappeared in the Underworld and she told Prue and Piper about Paige's existence.

Patty stood inside the circle, transparent, in the long beige dress she always wore when she came to visit them. The expression on her face was one of sympathy, and Piper wasn't sure whether she liked or hated it. But it wasn't until she saw her mother standing before her that she realized just how much she'd wanted her comfort.

"How are you doing, sweetie?" Patty asked in the exact same voice she had used when Piper was a young child.

Piper laughed unbelievingly. "How am I doing? Where do I begin?"

"I know how hard this has been on you girls. It pains me to see you all so...depressed. Helpless. You don't know which way to turn. That's why I'm here. I'm here to help you," Patty explained as she stepped outside the circle. Her body immediately became corporeal and she walked over to Piper and embraced her in a long awaited hug.

Piper returned it, never wanting to let go. At the moment it didn't matter that she was a grown up married woman. Right now she needed her mother.

Mother and daughter remained like that for some time, reluctant to be the first to let go. They each took comfort in the other's presence, gaining strength from one another. Piper felt the tears fall down her cheeks, but she did her best to hide the fact that she was crying from her mother, even though she knew it was no big secret. Patty stroked Piper's hair, rocking her back and forth. Piper was suddenly glad she'd done the summoning, and that it hadn't been Grams who came. She loved Grams and liked it when she came, but Grams could never sooth Piper quite like Patty could.

Finally Patty let go and stood to her full height. She took Piper's hands and said, "Let's go talk to Prue and Paige. I understand they both are..." she paused, searching for the right word. "A bit out of sorts."

Piper smiled knowingly. "You could say that."

She led her mother out of the attic, curious as to what Prue's and Paige's reactions would be upon seeing Patty walk casually through the house. A twinge of excitement ran through her suddenly, and she imagined that her mother felt the same way.

Sounds were coming from the kitchen, so Piper figured Paige had come downstairs to prepare dinner. But she wasn't the one who needed to have this particular conversation. At least, not yet.

"Where is she?" Patty asked quietly from behind Piper.

"In the living room," Piper answered, walking as silently as she could, not wanting to alert Prue to what was coming. She wasn't sure how her older sister was going to take this surprise.

When they reached the entrance to the living room Piper stopped and motioned for her mother to do the same. "I think it's best that we give her some warning. I'm not exactly sure how she'd react to seeing you walk casually into a room."

Patty smiled knowingly. "I understand. I'll wait for you."

Piper nodded and took a deep breath before re-entering the living room.

Prue was still there, curled up in the armchair, her attention fixed on the TV. It was now tuned to a game show. She didn't look up as Piper came in.

"Prue?"

"Yeah?"

Prue still hadn't turned to look at Piper, which was irritating. Couldn't she at least look at her? How captivating could a game show possibly be?

_Well, better just to get to the point, _Piper thought to herself. "Prue, what are we doing?"

Prue frowned and finally looked at her. "What do you mean?"

"You know what I mean. Are we just going to keep sitting around doing nothing, or are we going to start coming up with a plan?"

Prue sighed and looked as though she regretted asking the question. "I don't know, Piper. You tell me."

Piper resisted the urge to slap her sister. This wasn't starting well. "Well, I know that us sitting around isn't helping Phoebe any."

"Last time I checked, Piper, Phoebe didn't want to be saved. And it isn't our job to force anybody to change," Prue retorted.

"No, but it is our job to _help _people and, like it or not, Phoebe needs help. And since you, Paige, and I don't have a clue as to how to do it, I've brought someone who can," Piper said, bracing herself for the Prue's reaction.

Prue frowned at this, a mixture of irritation and curiosity crossing her features. "Who?"

Piper turned around and at that moment Patty stepped into the room, looking as though she were floating instead of walking. Who knows, maybe she was. Did corporeal ghosts have legs?

Piper watched as Prue and Patty looked at each other. Prue looked surprised and about ready to burst into tears. Patty was smiling and held out her arms, waiting for Prue to stand up and hug her.

Prue did just that. She collapsed into her mother's arms and Piper watched them embrace. Patty stroked Prue's long black hair the same way she had with Piper.

"What are you doing here?" Prue asked once they let go a few seconds later. Piper could've sworn she saw her hastily wipe a tear away from her eye.

Patty didn't answer right away. She took one of Prue's and Piper's arms and led them to the sofa. She sat down in the middle and they sat on either side of her. When they were seated she answered. "I've come to help you." She turned to Prue. "I've been watching. I know you're all out of ideas and you feel like giving up. It's completely understandable, of course...but not what you should be doing."

Piper looked at Prue, trying to gauge her sister's reaction to that. Prue had never been one to take criticism, no matter how helpful it was and who was the one giving it. She always felt the need to defend herself and never stopped until she proved-or at least _thought _she proved-that she was right. And now was no different. Prue's face contorted into a grimace and she stared at her mother defiantly.

"Well, since you've been watching, you know that everything we've tried hasn't worked. Every possible obstacle has been thrown our way and I don't know what else to do. Phoebe let us believe that maybe we could all come to some kind of truce, but just happens to forget to mention that she and _Cole," _she spat the word out as though it were toxic, "were going to move back to the Underworld! We're not any closer to getting her back than we were when we first found out she was staying down there!"

Patty was silent for a minute. Something about her expression told Piper that her mother already knew all this. Prue and Piper waited for Patty to say something and watched her in fervent concentration. She seemed to be choosing her words carefully.

"I know it feels that way. But think of all the progress you all have made," Patty finally said, sitting down on the sofa.

At this Prue scoffed. Piper winced. She could already sense the full blown argument building up inside her older sister. Piper only wished she knew of some way to stop it. "The only progress any of us has made is succeed in pushing Phoebe even further away. There's no way we can ever reach her with her down in the Underworld."

Patty smiled sadly and shook her head. "Yes, there is. It may not seem like it, but all of you have made enormous progress, including Phoebe."

"How?" Prue and Piper asked together. Piper was interested to see how her mother had reached this conclusion.

"Well," Patty began, looking as though she were preparing herself for a long speech. She turned to Piper. "You and Phoebe met not too long ago and began rebuilding your relationship. And you," she said, turning to face Prue. "You were going to go with them and have lunch with Phoebe. It's not your fault that she wasn't there to meet you." She paused and for a moment Piper thought she was going to cry. "It's important for you to realize that this isn't Phoebe's fault either."

Piper braced herself for another attack from Prue. It was just the way she reacted when she felt helpless. But Prue's voice when she did speak wasn't as harsh as she'd expected it to be.

"But it feels that way, Mom," she said, her voice breaking slightly at the last word. But she collected herself. "It just doesn't make any sense for Phoebe to willingly go with Cole back down to the Underworld if she wanted to come to some sort of understanding with us."

Piper couldn't ever remember Prue sounding so defeated. Patty must've been thinking the same because she gazed down at her, a mixture of sympathy and anguish crossing her features. "I know it doesn't. Which is why I'm here. Although in the beginning your grandmother and I decided to stay out of it and let you girls handle this on your own, we believe the time has come for us to intervene. We don't like the idea of Phoebe being down there with the Source any more than you do and, quite frankly, we don't think this is Phoebe's decision. Something much more sinister is at work here, and the Source must be sensing it, otherwise he never would have moved her down there again. The whole point of her staying in the Underworld the first time was to keep her away from danger. Now it seems as though she's being led straight toward it. Whether she likes it or not, we are going to rescue her."

Prue and Piper exchanged quick looks of surprise. This wasn't they'd been expecting, although Piper was pleasantly surprised. With Mom and Grams on their side, how could they lose?

The threesome headed for the kitchen to wait for Paige to return, and began formulating what their next move would be.

* * *

Maseras let out a long and aggravated sigh of annoyance. He had to keep reminding himself that he needed this demon; otherwise he'd have vanquished him long ago.

"Tell me again why you think this is necessary," Danix hissed from a couple feet behind him.

Maseras closed his eyes to keep his patience in check. "Because it will put the Source on alert."

"Don't we want him caught off guard?"

Maseras sighed again. It was clear Danix wasn't the smartest demon he could have chosen, but it was too late to replace him so there wasn't anything he could do about it except to keep reminding him over and over about what they needed to do.

"That would only get us vanquished faster. If you catch someone off guard- witch, demon, it doesn't matter- their instincts will kick in. That's why all the attacks against the Charmed Ones have always failed. It isn't that they are powerful witches that has kept them alive all these years, although admittedly that is a factor. But their survival instincts kicked in and they just automatically knew what to do. We need to be more careful in our planning. We pretty much need to let the Source and his queen know that someone is coming after them. Someone powerful," he explained, letting his mouth curl up in a sneer at the last part. Yeah, he thought of himself as powerful. And smart.

Which was more than what he could say about his companion. One look at Danix was all it took for Maseras to know that he'd lost him. The demon's face was contorted into a mask of confusion. Maseras knew he was trying to understand his little speech, but he also knew it was pointless. Only experience would explain his plan to him.

Maseras rolled his eyes impatiently. "Think about it. If we just attack, we won't stand a chance against him because the Source's instincts would take in. All his experience in demon attacks would emerge and he wouldn't even think about it. But if we strategize this and let it play out, we'll be getting him to think too much about it. He'll start to question himself and think too much about it. Who knows," he said, turning away from Danix and shrugging. "We might even scare him a little bit."

This was a stretch, and they both knew it. The Source was never scared.

"I dunno," said Danix, not looking convinced. "It seems a little too simple."

Maseras laughed without humor. "Sometimes the best laid plans are simple. Now hurry up or we'll have missed our chance."

As their destination crept into view, the two demons stopped talking and walked quietly to the cave's entrance. It wasn't large. It was about five times smaller than the cave in which the Source and his queen resided. This cave was meant only for one demon, but she was an important demon. She had been a useful ally to previous Sources, and although she wasn't as powerful as the Seer, she still possessed the gift of foresight which had led to the downfall of countless demons in the past.

"Why is it so important that we kill her?" Danix hissed from behind Maseras.

Maseras felt the beginning of an energy ball formulate in his hands and it took a lot of self control to let it go.

"We can't give the Source any more allies. And if the Source gets to her before we do then we don't stand a chance. She'll have seen us coming."

"If that's true, then hasn't she already seen us coming?"

"No. She only sees visions pertaining to others, much like the queen's powers when she was a Charmed One. She doesn't see visions concerning only her. Now shut up so we can get this over with."

Danix finally fell silent, and Maseras took the blessed opportunity to peer inside the cave.

The female known to most as simply The Oracle was in her usual position on top of a large rock in the middle of the cave. She was peering into her crystal ball, her eyes wide with a vision only she could see. For a minute Maseras felt a surge of jealousy at the power she had that he did not. Though his own powers were strong, he still wished had the ability to take in others' powers. But that was unimportant at the moment. They had a job to do.

He opened his hands wide behind his back and an energy ball immediately formed into existence. At first he thought the Oracle noticed him because she glanced in the direction where they were standing, and Maseras fought to keep himself perfectly still. Behind him, he could sense Danix tense up.

But when nothing happened and the Oracle turned back to her crystal ball, Maseras risked making the ball a little bigger. He wanted to make sure she was caught completely off guard so that this plan did not fail. He had to succeed in this. He would not go through another lifetime being an advisor to other lesser demons. This was his chance.

Letting his impatience get the best of him, Maseras stepped away from the outside wall and let his presence be known. The Oracle's head shot up, and her eyes immediately widened with fear. She possessed no power other than foresight, which made her defenseless, and they both knew it.

Maseras sneered nastily at her. "Let's just make this brief, shall we?"

He raised the hand that held the energy ball and waited a second so that the realization about what was going to happen could enter her mind.

"No...please...!" she started, but Maseras did not have the patience to listen to useless cries.

Without another word he flung the energy ball at her and she immediately vanished into nothing.


End file.
